US Democratic senators urge Biden to reject Israeli assurances over Gaza
A group of 17 US Democratic senators have urged the Biden administration to reject Israel’s claims that it is complying with international human rights law in Gaza, according to The Washington Post.
The senators, who include Chris Van Hollen, Dick Durbin and Elizabeth Warren, urged the State Department to reject any assurances from Israel given its “excessively burdensome restrictions… on the flow of aid from land crossings into Gaza and within Gaza”, the Post reported.
The move comes as the State Department gauges whether Israel’s actions in Gaza follow the laws of war – an assessment required under a new presidential directive that conditions US military aid on compliance with international human rights law.
Israel submitted written assurances to the State Department last week saying it is complying with international laws in Gaza.
They lie on video, might as well lie on paper. Written down, it's still a lie.
US should support ‘straightforward’ Security Council resolution: Palestinian politician
Hanan Ashrawi, a former member of the Palestine Legislative Council, has told Al Jazeera’s Inside Story that the United States should support a “straightforward” resolution in the UN Security Council instead of using “using evasive tactics”.
UN Security Council members are expected to vote on a new resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire on Monday. “This latest resolution to be presented is very clear and very succinct and precise,” said Ashrawi.
By comparison, Ashrawi said a US resolution, which failed to pass on Friday, used passive language “in order to exonerate Israel”.
“Israel holds all of Gaza hostage, all the Palestinian people, even the West Bank,” she said.
Israel blocks access to Jerusalem for West Bank Christians on Palm Sunday: Report
Israel has prevented thousands of Christians from the occupied West Bank from accessing Jerusalem to participate in the celebration of Palm Sunday, according to the WAFA news agency.
At the same time, Israeli forces imposed strict military measures at checkpoints surrounding the city of Jerusalem and in the vicinity of the Old City.
Israeli authorities require Palestinians, both Muslims and Christians, to obtain special permits to cross their military checkpoints surrounding the holy city and to access places of worship.
Israel arrested more than 7,350 Palestinians in West Bank during Gaza war
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/3/22/israel-arrested-over-7350-west-bank-palestinians-since-war-on-gaza-began
Protesters wearing shrouds hold placards during a protest in solidarity with Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, in Hebron, the Israeli-occupied West Bank on November 14, 2023
In early November, the Israeli authorities summoned Hashim Matar* to the police station in occupied East Jerusalem. For 10 days, he was interrogated about whether he supported Hamas and was a member of the Palestinian group.
Between questioning, Matar was locked in a small room with other detainees, where they were punched, kicked and beaten with batons.
“Lots of people had their [sternums] or heads broken, often gushing with blood,” Matar, a 54-year-old man with a short grey beard and laugh lines around his eyes, told Al Jazeera three months after he was released from detention. “We weren’t even treated like animals. At least animals are treated with some sort of dignity.”
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While some Palestinians have been released, 9,100 remain captive. That’s a sharp uptick from the 5,200 that were in Israeli prisons before October 7. These figures do not include the thousands of adults and children the Israeli army has reportedly detained, tortured and interrogated in makeshift prisons across Gaza, outside any legal or civilian oversight.
Since October 7, Israeli authorities have become more violent during arrests, according to a staff member of Addameer who spoke on condition of anonymity.
