Turkiye formally asks to join the genocide case against Israel at the UN court

Turkiye formally asks to join the genocide case against Israel at the UN court
A Palestinian woman inspects a tent damaged in an Israeli strike, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, August 7, 2024. (Reuters)
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Updated 09 August 2024
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Turkiye formally asks to join the genocide case against Israel at the UN court

Turkiye formally asks to join the genocide case against Israel at the UN court
  • Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Nicaragua and Libya have also asked to join the case, as have Palestinian officials. The court’s decision on their requests is still pending
  • South Africa brought a case to the International Court of Justice late last year, accusing Israel of violating the genocide convention through its military operations in Gaza

ANKARA: Turkiye on Wednesday filed a request with a UN court to join South Africa’s lawsuit accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, the foreign minister said.
Turkiye’s ambassador to the Netherlands, accompanied by a group of Turkish legislators, submitted a declaration of intervention to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
With the development, Turkiye, one of the fiercest critics of Israel’s actions in Gaza, becomes the latest nation seeking to participate in the case. Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Nicaragua and Libya have also asked to join the case, as have Palestinian officials. The court’s decision on their requests is still pending.
“We have just submitted our application to the International Court of Justice to intervene in the genocide case filed against Israel,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan wrote on the social media platform X. “Emboldened by the impunity for its crimes, Israel is killing more and more innocent Palestinians every day.”
“The international community must do its part to stop the genocide; it must put the necessary pressure on Israel and its supporters,” he said. “Turkiye will make every effort to do so.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Israel of genocide, called for it to be punished in international courts and criticized Western nations for backing Israel. In May, Turkiye suspended trade with Israel, citing its assault on Gaza.
In contrast to Western nations that have designated Hamas a terrorist organization, Erdogan has commended the group, calling it a liberation movement.
South Africa brought a case to the International Court of Justice late last year, accusing Israel of violating the genocide convention through its military operations in Gaza.
Israel has strongly rejected accusations of genocide and has argued that the war in Gaza is a legitimate defensive action against Hamas militants for their Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people and in which 250 hostages were taken.
If admitted to the case, the countries who joined would be able to make written submissions and speak at public hearings.
Preliminary hearings have already been held in the genocide case against Israel, but the court is expected to take years to reach a final decision.
The court on Wednesday confirmed that Turkiye filed a declaration for intervention in the case, adding that South Africa and Israel have been invited to “furnish written observations” on the request.
In a statement to the media, Hamas welcomed Turkiye’s request to join the lawsuit and said it affirms Erdogan’s support for the Palestinian cause.
“No country in the world is above international law,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said on X earlier. “The case at the International Court of Justice is extremely important in terms of ensuring that the crimes committed by Israel do not go unpunished.”
Keceli also called for the immediate implementations of precautionary measures ordered by the court, including a halt to military offensive and an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Since Erdogan took power in 2003, former allies Turkiye and Israel have experienced a volatile relationship, marked by periods of severe friction and reconciliation. The war in Gaza has disrupted the most recent attempts at normalizing ties.

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Sri Lankan politicians urge cutting Israel ties after attack on UN peacekeepers

Sri Lankan politicians urge cutting Israel ties after attack on UN peacekeepers
Updated 13 October 2024
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Sri Lankan politicians urge cutting Israel ties after attack on UN peacekeepers

Sri Lankan politicians urge cutting Israel ties after attack on UN peacekeepers
  • Two Sri Lankan troops on UNIFIL mission were wounded by Israeli shelling on Friday
  • Politicians in Colombo want legal action against Tel Aviv, boycott of Israeli products

COLOMBO: Politicians from multiple Sri Lankan parties are calling for a break in diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv after Israeli attacks wounded two UN peacekeepers from the South Asian nation.

Sri Lankan troops are part of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, which is tasked with helping the Lebanese Army keep control over the south of the country, which borders Israel.

The Sri Lankan contingent consists of 125 personnel who are deployed to the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura village. Israeli tanks that entered the area earlier this month have been firing on the peacekeeping forces and on Thursday wounded two Indonesian soldiers. On Friday, Israeli tank fire wounded two Sri Lankans.

Sri Lanka Army spokesperson Brig. Nilantha Premaratne told Arab News the country’s troops were securing the UNIFIL’s headquarters. Two of them — lance corporals from the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment and from the Armored Corps — were hit by shrapnel and had to be hospitalized.

“One is treated in the hospital inside the base camp, and one was transferred to another hospital. He had to undergo surgery,” Premaratne said.

Another source familiar with the matter told Arab News the soldier was in “serious condition.”

The incident sent a shockwave through the South Asian nation, with its Ministry of Foreign Affairs issuing a statement condemning the attack, but politicians in Colombo say it is not enough.

Marjan Faleel from Sri Lanka People’s Front, the country’s largest party, called for diplomatic ties to be cut and Israeli products embargoed.

“Enough of Israeli atrocities. Now they are laying their hands on the peacekeeping mission,” he told Arab News.

“Sri Lanka should take up this matter at the International Court of Justice and also sever all diplomatic relations with Israel, and also boycott all its products.”

Sri Lanka has already cut ties with Israel two times — in 1971 and 1992 — each time for nearly a decade.

For Azath Salley, leader of the National Unity Alliance, it was time to do it again, as he vowed that his party would work toward a diplomatic break with Tel Aviv after next month’s parliamentary election.

“It is Israeli terrorism, and the world knows it well,” he said. “The first thing we are going to do is go to parliament and (call) to sever all ties with Israel. We don’t want any Israelis to come to Sri Lanka.”

The need for action on the international level is seen as necessary to put an end to Israel’s impunity in the wake of its deadly war on Gaza since October 2023 and the invasion of Lebanon, which began two weeks ago.

Hussein Mohamed, former diplomat and member of the United National Party expected Sri Lanka’s newly appointed government to “take up this matter at all international fora” and act.

“Israeli atrocities should not be tolerated. Sri Lanka should take legal action,” he told Arab News.

Inaction was affecting all the UN rights mechanisms and their applicability to others, according to Shreen Abdul Saroor, Sri Lankan rights advocate with the Women’s Action Network.

“Israel has been violating almost every human right and humanitarian international law and convention,” she said, adding that it may set different standards for all those in the Global South, who might abandon the UN and Western-set order.

“The recent attack is very problematic because the UN peacekeepers in Lebanon have been attacked by Israel and Western countries are (indifferent) about it. They are not criticizing anything.”


Tens of thousands flee Nigeria floods

Tens of thousands flee Nigeria floods
Updated 13 October 2024
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Tens of thousands flee Nigeria floods

Tens of thousands flee Nigeria floods
  • The floods have been mounting for the past month, hitting densely populated areas, including parts of the state capital Lokoja

LAGOS: Two major rivers have flooded across central Nigeria displacing tens of thousands of people, the Red Cross told AFP.
Rescue workers in Kogi State have been helping residents move away from the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers to displacement camps or nearby villages.
Umar Y Mahmud, the Red Cross disaster management officer in Kogi, said Friday there were more than 60,000 people displaced and about 60,000 hectares (150,000 acres) of land under water.
“The situation is very bad now as the Niger river is increasing,” Mahmud said.
Kogi state’s information commissioner Kingsley Femi Fanwo said displacement camps were becoming “overwhelmed” and estimated that more than one million people could be in the affected areas.
The floods have been mounting for the past month, hitting densely populated areas, including parts of the state capital Lokoja.
In Ibaji district, more than three-quarters of the land has been inundated, Fanwo said.
Nigeria often sees floods during the May-to-November rainy season but there are fears this year’s could be worse than 2022 when more than 500 people died. No deaths have been reported this time.
Floods in Maiduguri, capital of the northeastern state of Borno, in September, left at least 37 dead.
Officials and residents often blame flood damage on climate change as well as poor planning, construction along riverbanks, and the release of water from dams


Indonesia urges Australia, East Asian countries to recognize Palestine

Indonesia urges Australia, East Asian countries to recognize Palestine
Updated 13 October 2024
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Indonesia urges Australia, East Asian countries to recognize Palestine

Indonesia urges Australia, East Asian countries to recognize Palestine
  • Indonesian VP discussed Palestine in most meetings at the ASEAN summit
  • Palestinian statehood is so far recognized by 75 percent of UN member countries

Jakarta: Indonesia has called on Australia, Japan, and South Korea to recognize Palestine, a move Jakarta says will be a “game-changer” to achieve peace in the Middle East.

Indonesia has long been a staunch supporter of Palestinians, who were among the first to recognize Indonesian independence from Dutch colonial rule in 1945. Its people and government see Palestinian statehood as mandated by their own constitution, which calls for the abolition of colonialism.

During the recent Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Vientiane, Laos, which included meetings with Western and East Asian leaders, Vice President Ma’ruf Amin raised the issue of Israel’s occupation of Palestine.

“The vice president brought the message of Palestine in almost every meeting,” Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said in a recorded press statement.

“But specifically during meetings with South Korea, Japan, and Australia, the vice president urged them to recognize Palestine as soon as possible.”

The State of Palestine is recognized by 146 countries around the world as of June this year, comprising about 75 percent of all UN member states.

While most of Asia, the Middle East, and Africa recognize Palestinian statehood, the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, and South Korea are among those that do not.

“Indonesia has consistently called for all countries which have yet to recognize Palestine to do so. We believe this move will be a game-changer in the peace process for Palestine specifically and also in the Middle East,” Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Roy Soemirat told Arab News on Sunday.

“With recognition, we believe that Palestine will have a stronger bargaining position against Israel, as both countries become widely recognized by the international community.”

More than a year since Israel launched its war on Gaza, its military has killed at least 42,000 people and injured over 97,000. The real death toll is feared to be much higher, with estimates published by the medical journal The Lancet indicating that as of July, it could be more than 186,000.

“It is only right for all countries to act to stop further loss of life,” Soemirat said. “For Indonesia, it is high time for these countries to give their recognition of Palestine. Any more delay and Israel will continue with its violent attacks.”


Pakistan separatist militants BLA deny involvement in attack on mines

Pakistan separatist militants BLA deny involvement in attack on mines
Updated 13 October 2024
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Pakistan separatist militants BLA deny involvement in attack on mines

Pakistan separatist militants BLA deny involvement in attack on mines
  • Dozens of attackers stormed a cluster of small private coal mines in Pakistan’s restive southwest

KARACHI: The Baloch Liberation Army, a militant separatist group in Pakistan, denied involvement in an attack that killed at least 21 mine workers, condemning the violence.
Dozens of attackers stormed a cluster of small private coal mines in Pakistan’s restive southwest on Friday with guns, rockets and hand grenades, killing some miners in their sleep and shooting others after lining them up.
“Baloch Liberation Army condemns the massacre of 21 Pashtun workers in Dukki, making it clear that our organization has no involvement in this tragic incident,” the BLA said in an email late on Saturday.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack on the mines of the Junaid Coal Co. in the mineral-rich province of Balochistan that borders Afghanistan and Iran.
It was the worst such attack in weeks and comes days before Pakistan hosts a summit of the Eurasian group Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
A decades-long insurgency in Balochistan by separatist militant groups has led to frequent attacks against the government, army and Chinese interests in the region, pressing demands for a share in mineral-rich resources.
Besides the separatists, the region is also home to Islamist militants, who have resurged since 2022 after revoking a ceasefire with the government.
The BLA seeks independence for Balochistan. It is the biggest of several ethnic insurgent groups that have battled the South Asian nation’s government for decades, saying it unfairly exploits Balochistan’s rich gas and mineral resources.
The province is home to key mining projects, including Reko Diq, run by giant Barrick Gold and believed to be one of the world’s largest gold and copper mines. China also operates a gold and copper mine in the province.
At the time of the attack, a delegation from Saudi Arabia, which says it is set to buy a stake in the Reko Diq mine, was in Islamabad exploring deals as Pakistan seeks to recover from an economic crisis.


Israel envoy criticizes Japan atomic survivor’s Gaza comparison

Israel envoy criticizes Japan atomic survivor’s Gaza comparison
Updated 13 October 2024
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Israel envoy criticizes Japan atomic survivor’s Gaza comparison

Israel envoy criticizes Japan atomic survivor’s Gaza comparison
  • Around 140,000 people were killed when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima

Tokyo: Israel’s ambassador to Japan criticized on Sunday a leader of Nihon Hidankyo, the atomic bomb survivors’ group awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, for comparing their experiences to the children of Gaza.
Gilad Cohen congratulated Nihon Hidankyo for winning this year’s prize but said in a post on social media platform X on Sunday the comparison drawn by the group’s co-chair Toshiyuki Mimaki “is outrageous and baseless.”
“Gaza is ruled by Hamas, a murderous terrorist organization committing a double war crime: targeting Israeli civilians, including women and children, while using its own people as human shields,” Cohen said.
“Such comparisons distort history and dishonor the victims” of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza, Cohen said.
Mimaki said after the prize was announced on Friday that the plight of children in Gaza was similar to what Japan faced at the end of World War II.
“In Gaza, bleeding children are being held (by their parents). It’s like in Japan 80 years ago,” Mimaki said.
A representative for the Hiroshima chapter of Nihon Hidankyo could not be reached for comment about Cohen’s post.
Around 140,000 people were killed when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and 74,000 more were killed in Nagasaki three days later.
Survivors of the blasts later formed Nihon Hidankyo to tell the stories of those atomic bombings and to press for a world without nuclear weapons.
Nagasaki decided not to invite Cohen to mark this year’s 79th anniversary of the bombing, citing security reasons to avoid possible protests.
That decision prompted the ambassadors of the United States, Britain and the European Union, among others, to skip the ceremony and send lower-level officials instead.
The Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says 42,175 people, a majority of them civilians, have been killed since Israel’s military campaign began there. The United Nations acknowledges these figures to be reliable.
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