international humanitarian law - The African Mirror

Mar

2024

Ireland to intervene in South Africa genocide case against Israel

IRELAND said it would intervene in South Africa's genocide case against Israel, in the strongest signal to date of Dublin's concern about Israeli operations in Gaza since October 7. Announcing the move, Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said that while it was for the World Court to decide whether genocide is being committed, he wanted to be clear that Hamas' October 7 attack and what is happening in Gaza now "represents the blatant violation of international humanitarian law on a mass scale." "The taking of hostages. The purposeful withholding of humanitarian assistance to civilians. The targeting of civilians and of civilian infrastructure. The…

Jan

2024

By PHILIP PULLELLA

‘Indiscriminately striking’ civilians is war crime, pope says in major speech

WORLD

POPE Francis, tackling conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine in his yearly address to diplomats, said that "indiscriminately striking" civilians is a war crime because it violates international humanitarian law. Francis, 87, made his comments in a 45-minute address to Vatican-accredited envoys from 184 countries that is sometimes called his "state of the world" speech. In it, he also talked about conflicts in Africa and Asia, migration crises in the United States and Latin America, climate change and the persecution of Christians. Expressing concern that the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip could spread…

Oct

2023

By NIDAL AL-MUGHRABI and ARI RABINOVITCH

Gaza reports record 24-hour death toll from Israeli bombing

WORLD

THE Palestinian health ministry said that Israeli air strikes had killed more than 700 Palestinians in Hamas-run Gaza overnight, the highest 24-hour death toll in Israel's declared two-week-old total siege of the narrow strip. United Nations agencies pleaded "on our knees" on Tuesday for emergency aid to be allowed unrestricted into Gaza, saying more than 20 times current deliveries were needed to support the Palestinian population after two weeks of Israeli bombardment. The Israeli military said it had hit over 400 Hamas militant targets and killed dozens of its fighters overnight, but that it would take time to destroy Gaza's ruling Islamist…

Oct

2023

By The African Mirror

Egypt warns against Israeli call for Gaza residents to move south

NEWS

EGYPT'S foreign ministry warned against calls from the Israeli army for more than 1 million of the Gaza Strip's residents to leave their homes and head south, saying it would have a serious impact on humanitarian conditions in the enclave. Such a move would be a "grave violation" of international humanitarian law and expose the lives of Gaza residents to danger, putting hundreds of thousands of people in areas not fit to accommodate them, the ministry said in a statement. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Friday that Gallant said Palestinian civilians "who want to save their lives" must heed…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

Did Ethiopia’s attack on Tigray violate international laws?

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

IN Ethiopia, the national army claims to have taken “complete control” of Mekelle, the capital of the dissident region of Tigray. But since the fighting started in November, there have been concerns for civilians in the region who may have been injured or displaced due to the conflict. EUGÈNE BAKAMA BOPE, Professor, Université de Lubumbashi What is known is that providers of humanitarian aid haven’t been able to reach civilians. There are also reports that hundreds of civilians have been killed. However, because parts of the region have been cut off from mobile phone and internet network, it’s hard to…