Pro-Palestine protests held around the world as Gaza war nears 100 days
Hundreds of thousands of people are taking to the streets across the world to protest against the war in Gaza, as it nears the 100-day mark, and to demand an end to Israel’s offensive. At rallies on Saturday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, people gathered at the United States embassy to send a message to Israel’s staunch ally. The US has vetoed United Nations resolutions backed by a vast majority of the UN Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire. “We’ve spoken to people here who say they’ve come to show solidarity with Palestinians. People are holding up placards that read: ‘Stop the genocide’, as well as ‘Bombing children is not self-defence’,” said Al Jazeera’s Florence Looi, reporting from Kuala Lumpur. The demonstrations are part of a “global day of action for Palestine” and to call for an end to the bloodshed that has killed 23,843 people and wounded more than 60,317, according to Palestinian health officials. Israel on Friday rejected accusations of genocide in Gaza during a public hearing at the International Court of Justice, claiming the case filed by South Africa with the top UN court was a distortion of truth that amounted to libel. Its arguments were based on its alleged right to self-defence following the attack by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7, which killed 1,139 people, as well as a lack of genocidal intent against the Palestinian people. Last month, Malaysia’s government said it would no longer allow Israeli-owned ships to dock in Malaysian ports. It also said any vessel en route to Israel would not be allowed to unload cargo at any Malaysian port. The protest movement in Malaysia, organised in collaboration with dozens of NGOs, said it aimed to educate people not only about the atrocities that are happening in Gaza, but also about the history of the occupation. Thousands of people also gathered outside the US embassy in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, waving Indonesian and Palestinian flags and holding signs that read “Boycott Israel” and “Ceasefire Now.” Demonstrators gathered outside the US consulate in Johannesburg, South Africa, where Al Jazeera’s Fahmida Miller said many in the crowd accused the US, which has supplied Israel with thousands of tonnes of military equipment since the war started, of “complicity in the bombardment of the Palestinian people”. The protest has been bolstered by South Africa’s case at the ICJ, Miller said. Roshan Dadoo, a leader of South Africa’s Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, who attended the protest, said: “We’re going to be here until we can make sure there is a ceasefire and sufficient humanitarian assistance for Gaza.” Rallies were also expected to kick off in world capitals including Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Amman and Washington, DC. Jeanine Hourani, a member of the Palestine Youth Movement attending the march in London, said protesters are angry over the injustice in Gaza and determined to keep marching for Palestinian rights. “The sentiment is one of rage and frustration” she told Al Jazeera. “We have been taking to the streets every week since October 7.” Hourani said that while the British public largely supports a ceasefire in Gaza, “the UK’s politicians have continued to fund and support the genocide.” “Ultimately, we know that in the grand scheme of things – in the long arc of justice – we are winning,” she said. “We are going to continue taking to the streets, continue applying pressure, until Palestine is free.” Thousands gathered at Bank Junction in central London, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) said. The seventh National March for Palestine featured an appearance by Little Amal, a giant puppet of a Syrian child refugee, joining a group of Palestinian children. ‘Little Amal’, a puppet of a Syrian refugee girl, has become an international symbol of human rights [File: Tom Nicholson/Reuters] The 3.5-metre puppet, whose name means hope in Arabic, became an international symbol of human rights after she journeyed 8,000km (4,970 miles) from the Turkish-Syrian border to Manchester in July 2021. About 1,700 officers were on duty to police the march in London, the Metropolitan Police said. Adblock test (Why?)
Australian Open 2024: Top seeds, schedule, wildcards, draw and prize money
The first tennis Grand Slam of the year is upon is as Melbourne Park plays host to the Australian Open 2024. Here’s what you need to know about the tournament: What are the key dates? The Australian Open begins on Sunday, January 14 and runs through to the men’s singles final on Sunday, January 28. The women’s singles final will be staged the day before. The event’s 15-day duration is a first, given the tournament would usually begin on a Monday, but an extra day has been added in the hope of avoiding late-night finishes. Players qualify for the main draw by being ranked in the top 104, or by winning three qualifying matches (in qualifiers from January 8 to 11), or by wildcard. How much is the prize money? The total prize money for the tournament has increased by 13 percent this year to stand at 86.5 million Australian dollars ($57.83m). The singles champions will win 3.15 million Australian dollars ($2.11m) each. Who are the favourites? Both reigning champions will line up in Melbourne to defend their crowns, with Serbia’s Novak Djokovic defending his men’s singles title and Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka competing to retain the women’s trophy. Djokovic, 36, has won the Australian Open on 10 occasions and is the top seed. Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, Russia’s Daniil Medvedev and Italy’s Jannik Sinner are ranked two, three and four. Alcaraz heads to Melbourne Park without any competitive matches under his belt this season. Ready? PLAY 💥 pic.twitter.com/ccffFod5wr — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 11, 2024 Sabalenk lost the women’s number one ranking to Poland’s Iga Swiatek last year. America’s Coco Gauff is seeded third behind the pair after winning the US Open in September. Elena Rybakina, who won Wimbledon in 2022, is ranked fourth. The biggest name to miss out is Spain’s Rafael Nadal as he continues his rehabilitation from a hip injury but Britain’s Emma Raducanu, who won the 2021 US Open, returns from eight months out following surgery on both her wrist and ankle. Japan’s Naomi Osaka also returns after giving birth last July, hoping to add to her four major titles. Leading the charge 💪 pic.twitter.com/mLfAnQRwkJ — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 11, 2024 What happened in Thursday’s Australian Open draw? Djokovic begins his quest for a record-extending 11th Australian Open title and 25th Grand Slam crown overall against one of the qualifiers. The Serbian required treatment for a wrist problem during his United Cup defeat by Alex de Minaur last week – his first loss in Australia for six years. The 36-year-old has been given a relatively gentle start but could play Greek seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals in what would be a mouthwatering rematch of last year’s final. King of Melbourne. Who will it be this year? 🏆 🤔 pic.twitter.com/oFqnvg8wrf — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 11, 2024 Meanwhile, Swiatek faces a tricky test against 2020 champion Sofia Kenin. Defending champion Sabalenka will also take on a qualifier first while 2023 runner-up Elena Rybakina, who Sabalenka in the final of the tune-up tournament in Brisbane, faces former world number one Karolina Pliskova. Wimbledon champion Alcaraz meets French veteran Richard Gasquet. The 20-year-old second seed is on course for a quarterfinal clash with the rejuvenated Alexander Zverev, who goes up against fellow German Dominik Koepfer. Tsitsipas squares off with Matteo Berrettini in another tantalising opener, while twice-finalist Medvedev will start against a qualifier. Italian youngster Jannik Sinner, who is tipped to go deep at Melbourne Park, will face Botic van de Zandschulp. Coming for the Melbourne crown 👑 The CHAMPION will be… 👀 pic.twitter.com/sXrYsEsiqM — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 11, 2024 US Open champion Gauff faces Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, while Osaka, who won the title in 2019 and 2021, returns to Grand Slam tennis for the first time since 2022 and is pitted against Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia in a tricky opener. Angelique Kerber, who also made her comeback to the tour following a lengthy maternity break, will play 2022 runner-up Danielle Collins in her opener and could take on top seed Swiatek in the next round. Wild card Caroline Wozniacki, another former champion and returning mother, will play 20th seed Magda Linette. Australia’s Alex de Minaur, who stunned Djokovic last week before beating Alcaraz in a charity match, will spearhead local hopes and begin his campaign against Canadian former world number three Milos Raonic. What time will the ties be played? The show courts start at 12pm (01:00 GMT) while the day sessions begin an hour earlier on the outer courts. The Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena will host the night sessions which begin at 7pm (08:00 GMT). Both the women’s and men’s singles finals start at 7:30pm (08:30 GMT). Adblock test (Why?)
Israel’s war on Gaza: What constitutes genocide?
With the International Court of Justice deliberating over South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, we look at how the proceedings could affect reporting on the war. Contributors:Qaanitah Hunter – Journalist, News24Nimer Sultany – Editor-in-Chief, The Palestine Yearbook of International LawDaniel Levy – President, US/Middle East ProjectTony Leon – Political commentator On our radar: In Ecuador, masked gang members break into the studio of the state broadcaster, firing at staff and taking hostages. Tariq Nafi explains the country’s gang violence crisis and why the media has become a target. Feature – Sudan: 2023’s Forgotten War Thousands killed, millions displaced – the crisis in Sudan continues unabated and underreported. Two Sudanese journalists reflect on the coverage of Sudan’s civil war. Contributors:Yassmin Abdel-Magied – Editor, Eyes on SudanIsma’il Kushkush – Sudanese-American journalist Adblock test (Why?)
Taiwan ruling party’s Lai wins presidential election
William Lai Ching-te from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has won Taiwan’s presidential election. Lai, the current vice president, was in a three-way race with Hou Yu-ih from the conservative Kuomintang (KMT) and Ko Wen-je from the Taiwan People’s Party. Hou conceded defeat on Saturday and congratulated Lai on his victory. He also apologised to KMT supporters for not being able to oust the DPP. Voters also elected lawmakers to Taiwan’s 113-seat legislature in elections closely watched by China and the United States. Taiwan’s election carries an outsized importance because of the territory’s disputed political status. While de facto independent since the 1940s, China still claims the island and its outlying territories and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve its ambitions. China has previously said that Lai would be a threat to peace in the region if he wins, and called the polls a choice between war and peace. Lai has said he is committed to peace in the region and open to conditional engagement with Beijing. More to come… Adblock test (Why?)
What does the Alaska Airlines incident tell us about air safety?
Last week, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing in Portland, the United States, when a cabin panel blew off in midair leaving a gaping hole in the aircraft’s fuselage. Just days before, a Japan Airways Airbus collided with a smaller coastguard plane, resulting in the Airbus catching fire. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered an inquiry into the incident and several passengers filed a class action lawsuit against Boeing in Washington state on Thursday. So, is it really safe to travel by air? Here is what we know about the Alaska Airlines incident and the general safety of aviation: What happened to the Alaska Airlines flight? On January 5, just moments after takeoff, a cabin door panel blew off in midair during an Alaska Airlines flight from Portland to Ontario, leaving one side of the aircraft’s body with a gaping hole, reducing cabin pressure and prompting an emergency landing. The blown-out door panel was later discovered by a Portland teacher, in his garden. Federal officials in the US ordered the temporary grounding of all Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners until they can be inspected. The cabin panel that flew out was a “door plug” installed over an extra emergency exit door, which had been removed. (Al Jazeera) Thankfully, no one was seated next to the gaping hole. Additionally, the plane was only 16,000 feet (4,876 metres) above the ground. Planes typically fly more than 31,000 feet (9,448 metres) when they are at their highest. Had the aircraft been much higher, the pressure difference could have become large enough to suck passengers out of the aircraft, former FAA accident investigator Jeff Guzzetti told The Washington Post. The aircraft, which had departed from Oregon and was heading for California, landed safely in Portland with all 174 passengers and six crew members mostly unharmed. Some passengers sustained minor injuries. The aircraft is a new Boeing 737 Max 9 which had been delivered to Alaska Airlines in late October and certified as safe by the FAA in early November. It had been in service for just eight weeks. London-based independent aviation expert John Strickland told Al Jazeera that the panel which flew off is supposed to be a secure part of the aircraft’s structure. “That’s why it’s more surprising and a matter of concern that this blowout happened,” he said. London-based aviation analyst and consultant Alex Macheras agreed: “This should not be downplayed, that’s for sure. Because in modern commercial aviation, we do not see sections of an aircraft body, of fuselage, becoming separated from the rest of the aircraft, certainly not mid-flight.” Has Boeing taken responsibility? As more than 170 planes remained grounded last week, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun acknowledged errors made by Boeing and provided reassurance. He told staff that the company would ensure an incident like the Alaska Airlines blowout could never happen again. It has not been confirmed what the actual fault in the aircraft was, although experts told Al Jazeera it is most likely down to a manufacturing flaw rather than a design flaw. There has also been speculation about parts coming loose after both Alaska Airlines and United Airlines reported incidents of needing to tighten loose hardware last Monday. Earlier, the US chief accident investigator, The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said it had received reports that warning lights had been triggered on brand-new Boeing 737 Max 9 crafts on three flights. Two of these alerts happened on consecutive days before the Alaska Airlines blowout. Richard Aboulafia, aviation industry analyst and managing director of Washington-based AeroDynamic Advisory, told Al Jazeera that the warning lights were likely the result of a technical glitch. “They ignored it because, strangely, the pressure differential came on while it was on the ground, which means it was a glitch. There’s no pressure differential while you’re on the ground,” he explained. The cabin pressure can only vary when the aircraft is in the air, which is why it was acceptable to ignore the warning and fly the plane over land, he said. The company stopped flying the aircraft over the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii due to the warnings, yet kept it flying over land, the NTSB said. Who checks the safety of an aircraft? Aboulafia explained that the FAA typically certifies an aircraft, approving its operations and production. However, since the Boeing 737 Max has had safety issues before, the FAA announced that it would inspect every single aircraft in the Max series under these unusual circumstances. The details about the exact checks that were carried out are not public. Once the aircraft is in use by an airline, regular maintenance checks called A, B, C and D checks are carried out, Aboulafia explained. While an A check is typically a cursory investigation of a plane’s moving parts, exterior wear and tear and of oil and fuel, a D-check is rigorous and involves a teardown and detailed inspection of the aircraft. These checks are carried out at dedicated intervals based on the number of years an aircraft has been in service or its number of flight hours. Some airlines have their own in-house capabilities to carry out these checks and while many airlines are able to do A or B checks, only certain airlines are able to do C or D checks themselves. Others use third-party services. “This is an unprecedented production ramp and, clearly, there needs to be more resources provided for it, whether it’s at the manufacturing level or the inspections level,” Aboulafia added, referring to how aeroplanes are now manufactured in large numbers. He called for a greater number of people to be assigned more time for inspections. Aboulafia added that it is imperative to identify where and how the Alaska aircraft passed its safety checks, and whether it was Boeing, Spirit Aerosystems or the FAA that cleared the jetliner without detailed inspection. There is no information about the level of detail of inspection that took place before the plane
Republican caucuses? Iowa’s Arabs and Muslims are more concerned with Gaza
Des Moines, Iowa – National media, political pundits and United States presidential hopefuls all converged on the state capital of Des Moines this week, as it played host to the final Republican debate before the Iowa caucuses. But just miles down the road from where Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis traded barbs on Wednesday night, local businessman Mohamed Ali was unfazed. “Honestly, we don’t care about them,” Ali told Al Jazeera, blowing smoke from his hookah pipe in a packed cafe outside Des Moines. “With all the debates, they all fight and compete over who supports Israel more.” While indifferent towards the race for the Republican nomination, the 46-year-old Palestinian American father of three said one thing was certain: He would not back Democratic President Joe Biden for a second term in November. Israel’s war in Gaza had been a turning point for Ali, who previously supported Biden in 2020. Dressed in a white button-up shirt with a light blue blazer over it, he alternated between anger and stoicism — voicing rage over Biden’s support of Israel and apathy towards the 2024 elections. “The Arab and the Muslim community, they are not voting for Biden. I did not talk to a single person who said he’s going to vote for Biden,” Ali told Al Jazeera, as Arabic pop music blared in the background of the cafe. He added that even the prospect of Donald Trump’s return to the White House was not enough to spur Arab Americans to vote Democrat in the presidential race. Des Moines-area businessman Mohamed Ali says it is too late for President Joe Biden to win the votes of Arab Americans in Iowa [Ali Harb/Al Jazeera] Ali was born in Lebanon to Palestinian refugee parents. He studied in Tunisia before moving to New York and ending up in Iowa — the rural, sparsely populated state where the first Republican primary contest will take place on Monday. But Ali, like many Arab and Muslim Americans, has found himself disillusioned with mainstream US politics as the war in Gaza unfolds. Biden has articulated “unwavering” support for Israel, and his rivals in the Republican field have all tried to outdo each other with their advocacy for the US ally. All the while, international outcry has mounted over the rising death toll in Gaza, where an Israeli military campaign has killed over 23,700 Palestinians. Israel itself faced genocide accusations this week before the International Court of Justice. So in Iowa, as the election approaches, many Arab Americans feel stuck between Biden and a hard place. For now, many are spending their energy on local activism for Gaza. Ali himself has organised several Palestine solidarity protests, drawing hundreds of people in Des Moines. ‘Litmus test’ Although overwhelmingly white, Iowa is home to sizable Arab and Muslim communities: One grassroots project estimated Iowa’s Arab American population to include upwards of 17,700 people, in a state of 3.2 million. One of the nation’s oldest mosques is in the eastern Iowa city of Cedar Rapids, an area that elected its first Arab American state legislator in 2022. South of Cedar Rapids, in the college town of Iowa City, there is also a growing Sudanese American community. In Des Moines, meanwhile, there are clusters of Arab and Muslim Americans from the Middle East, South Asia and Bosnia. While US Arabs and Muslims are no monolith, more than a dozen activists interviewed by Al Jazeera echoed the same sentiment: They feel alienated by Republicans, but they will not vote for Biden. Ending the war in Gaza is now the central issue for many of Iowa’s politically active Arab Americans. They have organised protests, met with representatives and pushed ceasefire resolutions at the local level to make their voices heard. “I find it very difficult to stomach anybody who can’t call for a ceasefire at this point, no matter what party they’re in,” said Maria Reveiz, a Lebanese American yoga instructor who owns a jazz club in Des Moines. “I’ve left the Democratic Party. I have no affiliation. Palestine from here on out is my litmus test for anybody to get my support ever again.” That sense of disenfranchisement among Arab and Muslim Americans in Iowa has been amplified by a lack of outreach from campaigns during this year’s presidential race. While Democrats made headlines in 2020 for organising caucuses in Iowa mosques, Republican candidates have not reached out specifically to Arab and Muslim Americans, adding to those communities’ lack of concern with Monday’s race. Reveiz, a curly-haired mother of three, campaigned for Bernie Sanders during the 2020 Democratic caucuses, but she has since covered a sticker of a mittened Sanders on her laptop with a Palestinian flag. Sanders has not called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. When she spoke to Al Jazeera, Reveiz’s house looked like a shrine for Palestine: a keffiyeh above the fireplace, a painting by a Palestinian artist on the wall, a scarf with the colours of the Palestinian flag on a shelf. Reveiz herself wore a pendant that said “Palestine” in Arabic around her neck. Even a Buddha statue in the corner of her living room was draped with a Palestinian flag. Reveiz had visited Gaza several times in the past years with an aid group to lead yoga classes designed to help address trauma. Israeli shelling has since killed one of her friends in the Palestinian territory. “Ahmad Ismail,” Reveiz said, whispering his name but stopping short of crying. “Wonderful human.” With Israel restricting access to food, medicine and water in Gaza, Ismail had been on his roof collecting rainwater when he was hit by shelling in Deir el-Balah. Reveiz said she has now contacted the offices of her representatives in Congress so often that staffers recognise her. She has also written to the White House demanding a ceasefire. But she has not heard any positive responses to her requests. “It’s futile,” Reveiz told Al Jazeera. Sami Scheetz stands outside the Iowa state capitol in Des Moines [Ali Harb/Al Jazeera]
Israel rejects genocide charges in Gaza, asks ICJ to dismiss case
NewsFeed Israel has rejected South Africa’s claims it is carrying out a genocide against the people of Gaza and has asked the International Court of Justice to dismiss the case. Published On 12 Jan 202412 Jan 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
‘Dangerous’: US attacks on Yemen’s Houthis belie push for de-escalation
For months, top United States officials have repeatedly said that President Joe Biden does not want to see Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip escalate into a wider conflict in the Middle East. That was the central message US Secretary of State Antony Blinken conveyed this week as he made his fourth visit to the region since the war began. His trip came in the shadow of Israeli attacks in Lebanon and attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on vessels in the Red Sea. “The Red Sea — we want to avoid escalation there,” Blinken said in Cairo on Thursday, when asked about his efforts to prevent the conflict from spiralling. But only hours later, the US confirmed it had collaborated with the United Kingdom to launch “strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels”, in coordination with a handful of other countries. Experts and rights advocates warn that the attacks clash with the Biden administration’s stated goals of de-escalation and fail to address the root cause of the soaring tensions in the region: Israel’s military assault on Gaza. “It does run contrary to what the administration has been saying, but it was also inevitable,” said Hassan El-Tayyab, legislative director for Middle East policy at Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker advocacy group in Washington, DC. “Everybody watching this situation knew that it was a matter of time before the war in Gaza spilled out across the region. And we’re seeing that not only in the Red Sea, but we’re also seeing it in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq,” he told Al Jazeera. “Without that ceasefire in Gaza, it’s hard to see how this gets better. And I think the simmering pot is now boiling over, and it’s just going to get worse and worse as time goes on. It’s really a very dangerous moment.” Red Sea attacks On Friday, a senior US official told the Reuters news agency that more than 150 munitions had been used to hit nearly 30 locations linked to the Houthi armed group in Yemen. The Iran-aligned Houthis control large swaths of Yemen including the western coast overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which leads to the Red Sea. The group began firing missiles at Israel and attacking commercial ships shortly after the war on Gaza began in October. The group has said it is targeting Israel-linked vessels as part of an effort to pressure the Israeli government to end its Gaza bombardment and allow more humanitarian aid deliveries into the coastal Palestinian enclave. The attacks in the Red Sea — a key commercial thoroughfare through which about 12 percent of global trade transits — led shipping companies to suspend operations in the area and drew condemnation from the US and its allies. In mid-December, Washington launched a multinational force aimed at defending “freedom of navigation” in the Red Sea, and at the end of the month, US forces sank three Houthi boats, killing 10 fighters. During a news conference from Egypt’s capital on Thursday, Blinken condemned the Houthis and noted that the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution a day earlier urging the group to end its attacks. “We have a number of countries that have made clear that, if it doesn’t stop, there’ll have to be consequences, and unfortunately, it hasn’t stopped. But we want to make sure that it does, and we’re prepared to do that,” the top US diplomat said. Brian Finucane, a senior US programme adviser at the International Crisis Group think tank, said it was widely expected that the US would launch attacks against the Houthis in Yemen amid the escalating Red Sea confrontations. But Finucane — who previously worked at the US State Department, advising on the use of military force — told Al Jazeera that the Yemen strikes show that the Biden administration “has adopted a posture of self-deception and a self-defeating policy”. “On the one hand, they repeat in this mantra-like fashion their desire to avoid a wider regional war. On the other hand, we already have that wider regional war and the underlying cause … is the conflict in Gaza, which the US is fuelling through unconditional military support [for Israel],” he said. ‘Arsonist and firefighter’ Biden, who confirmed the strikes on Thursday, said his administration was sending “a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical commercial routes”. “I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary,” the US president said in a statement, which did not mention the Israeli war in Gaza. Earlier this month, a senior administration official also rejected the Houthis’ claim that their attacks in the Red Sea are tied to Gaza, calling that rationale “illegitimate”. The war in Gaza has killed more than 23,700 Palestinians since October 7, prompting widespread international outcry and raising questions about the risk of genocide. According to Finucane, the US’s failure to “acknowledge reality” — that the Gaza war lies at the heart of current regional tensions — “will make it very difficult to craft effective policy”. And while the US said its overnight Yemen strikes were “intended to disrupt and degrade the Houthis’ capabilities”, Finucane questioned whether they would really stem the Red Sea attacks. The Houthis in Yemen have already withstood years of bombings in a war led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The group is currently in talks with Riyadh over a lasting ceasefire. “I think it’s really important to recognise that the US is simultaneously playing the role of arsonist and firefighter in the Middle East,” Finucane said. “It is pouring fuel on the fire in Gaza, while at the same time trying to tamp down the flare-ups elsewhere in the region — flare-ups that endanger US service members.” Gaza ceasefire key Shireen Al-Adeimi, a Yemeni American assistant professor
Prosecutors in Peru seek 34-year sentence for ex-President Castillo
Former President Pedro Castillo is accused of ‘carrying out a coup’ after he attempted to dissolve Congress in 2022. Peru’s prosecutor’s office has formally requested 34 years in prison for former President Pedro Castillo, who was dramatically removed from office and arrested after his attempt to dissolve Congress in late 2022. Castillo, whose removal sparked off months of deadly protests that hit the key mining sector in the copper-rich country, remains in pre-trial detention. On Friday, the public prosecution office wrote on social media that it sought the jail term for “crimes of rebellion, abuse of authority and serious disturbance of public peace”. In the request presented to the court, Castillo is accused of “carrying out a coup d’etat”. Castillo, a former teacher from rural Peru, elected in 2012, was the first leader of the Andean nation with no ties to the elites and was hailed as the country’s first poor president. Once he took up the position, the leftist leader was locked in a power struggle with the opposition-led Congress and was accused by the attorney general of leading a criminal organisation involving his family and allies that handed out public contracts for money. Before his removal in December 2022, Castillo said the plan to “temporarily” dissolve Congress was to “reestablish the rule of law and democracy” in the country. However, opposition politicians said the decision went against Peru’s constitution, and Congress voted overwhelmingly to remove him from the country’s top position. Castillo has argued that he was the victim of a political conspiracy between the right-wing opposition and the attorney general. “I never took up arms,” he has told court hearings since his arrest. Castillo was replaced by his vice president, Dina Boluarte, who faced protests as some called for her to step down and hold an early election. A crackdown by security forces killed about 50 people, according to an estimate by Human Rights Watch, which accused Peruvian authorities of extrajudicial and arbitrary killings. While Boluarte is facing a probe over the deaths of the protesters, she maintains immunity until her term ends in 2026. Adblock test (Why?)
Israel rejects accusations of genocide in Gaza war at ICJ hearing
Israel has rejected the accusations brought by South Africa to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that its actions in Gaza amount to genocide, in a second day of a public hearing at the world body in The Hague. Israel’s legal representatives on Friday claimed South Africa’s case was “unfounded”, “absurd” and amounting to “libel”, and said Israel sought not to destroy a people but to protect its people. On Thursday, on the first day of hearings, South Africa argued Israel had committed “systematic” acts of genocide in Gaza, where more than 23,500 Palestinians have been killed amid Israel’s military campaign, with at least 70 percent of whom were women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israel’s arguments revolved around its “right to self-defence” following the attacks by Hamas on October 7, as well as what it called a lack of evidence of “genocidal intent”. Christopher Staker, a lawyer representing Israel, said, “The inevitable fatalities and human suffering of any conflict is not of itself a pattern of conduct that plausibly shows genocidal intent.” Malcolm Shaw, a professor of international law representing Israel, said the case relates only to charges of genocide, which “stands alone among violations of international law as the epitome of evil”. If the charge of genocide is levelled incorrectly, “the essence of this crime would be lost”, he said. Shaw added that such evidence was lacking in the arguments South Africa presented a day earlier. Detailing its evidence on Thursday, Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, a lawyer for South Africa, said, “The evidence of genocidal intent is not only chilling, it is also overwhelming and incontrovertible.” ‘Massive disconnect’ Israel’s legal representatives insisted its army has acted in compliance with international law in Gaza and aimed to mitigate civilian harm by warning of impending military actions, including via telephone calls and leafleting. Omri Sender, another lawyer, argued that Israel’s efforts to facilitate humanitarian assistance to people in Gaza testified to its objective of protecting the civilian population, rather than destroying it. However, Thomas MacManus, a senior lecturer in state crime at Queen Mary University of London, told Al Jazeera the ICJ is likely to see a “massive disconnect” between the picture Israel painted of its humanitarian concern for Gaza and “the reality on the ground where UN agencies say people are starving, lacking water, and seeing attacks on hospitals, schools, and universities”. Speaking before the ICJ hearing, Galit Raguan, acting director of the international justice division at Israel’s Ministry of Justice, refuted the claim that Israel had bombed hospitals. She argued Israel had found evidence of Hamas using “every single hospital in Gaza” for military purposes. Responding to claims that hospitals were used as military bases, Palestinian foreign ministry official Ammar Hijazi told Al Jazeera outside The Hague that Israel’s arguments were not based in fact or law. “What Israel has provided today are many of the already debunked lies,” he said. ‘Plausible right to self-defence’ The ICJ is set to rule on nine provisional measures effectively seeking the suspension of military operations in Gaza, but a timeline for when that will happen has not been stated. Israel has argued the provisional measures cannot require a state to refrain from exercising a “plausible right to defend itself”. On the issue of jurisdiction, Israel argued that one of the requirements of the ICJ’s mandate is that the state putting forward the case should try to sort out this problem first. According to Israel, they did not manage to talk to South Africa before they brought this case to the court. In turn, South Africa argued it had reached out to Israel but obtained no response. The Israeli team did make strong “jurisdictional and procedural arguments”, Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara said, but he added that “Israel lost the moral, factual, historical and humanitarian argument because of the way the situation has unravelled in Gaza – with the sheer death and industrial killing there.” Tal Becker, the legal adviser of Israel’s foreign ministry, told the ICJ hearing that South Africa enjoyed close relations with Hamas and was therefore attempting to put forward a “distorted factual and legal picture”. South Africa “firmly rejects” that claim, Al Jazeera’s Fahmida Miller said, reporting from South Africa. “The South African government has said that it doesn’t have bilateral relations with Hamas and that its stance in terms of supporting the Palestinian struggle against occupation does not equate to the support of Hamas,” she said. In its presentation on Thursday, South Africa’s lawyers also condemned Hamas’s actions on October 7. ICJ President Joan Donoghue ended the two-day hearing saying the court will announce its decision in the coming days. Adblock test (Why?)