Pro-Palestine protest breaks out in Istanbul as German president visits
Pro-Palestinian protesters have held a demonstration in Istanbul against German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier as he met with Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on a trip to mark the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
As Steinmeier and Imamoglu visited an exhibition at Istanbul’s historic Sirkeci train station, pro-Palestinian protesters began chanting slogans from across the train tracks. Police quickly intervened, moving them away from the railings and using force to restrain them.
Critics have accused Germany of anti-Palestinian bias and, in a case at the top UN court brought by Nicaragua, the country is facing accusations of aiding genocide in Gaza by selling arms to Israel, whose military has killed more than 34,000 people in the Strip since October 7.
Borrell says no progress on reducing Gaza ‘humanitarian catastrophe’
The European Union’s high representative has said that there is no progress on three issues related to the Israeli war on Gaza: the release of captives, a ceasefire, and reducing the humanitarian catastrophe in the besieged coastal enclave.
Speaking in Luxembourg after a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Josep Borrell stressed that these are “three things that we need”.
“Sorry to say, there is not progress on any one of them, significant progress. Nothing on the release of hostages, no prospect for a ceasefire and … the [EU] commissioner in charge for humanitarian help provided us with some examples of how the humanitarian support is being obstructed,” he said.
Borrell also said that the EU had called for unhindered access to the Gaza Strip for relief and aid distribution purposes “and it is clear that it is being hindered … so there is not an easing of the humanitarian support, so the humanitarian catastrophe for the Palestinian people continue[s].”
Israel’s Gaza war has negatively impacted human rights, US report says
Israel’s assault on Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis, has had “a significant negative impact” on the human rights situation, the US State Department said in its annual report.
Significant human rights issues include credible reports of arbitrary or unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, torture and unjustified arrests of journalists, said the State Department’s 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.
Rights groups have flagged numerous incidents of civilian harm during Israel’s offensive in Gaza and have raised alarm about rising violence in the occupied West Bank, where Palestinian Health Ministry records show Israeli forces or settlers have killed at least 460 Palestinians since October 7.
Despite the many reports, the Biden administration said it has not found Israel in breach of international law so far.
US looking into alleged Israeli human rights abuses in Gaza: Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the United States is looking into allegations of human rights abuses by Israel in its war on Gaza.
Unveiling the State Department’s annual human rights report, Blinken denied the US has double standards when it comes to Israel and human rights. “Do we have a double standard? The answer is no,” Blinken told reporters.
Correct, you have many double standards, not just one.