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Gaza war appears to meet definition of genocide: EU official
The European Commission’s second-most senior official has said Israel’s war in Gaza looks “very much like genocide”, marking the first time an executive of the body has used that term.
“If it is not genocide, it looks very much like the definition used to express its meaning,” European Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera told the Politico magazine. “What we are seeing is a concrete population being targeted, killed and condemned to starve to death.”
While the European Commission has previously accused Israel of human rights abuses in Gaza, it has so far stopped short of labelling its actions genocide.
Last week, the commission proposed curbing Israeli access to its flagship research funding programme after calls from EU countries to boost pressure on Israel to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the enclave.
Poll in five nations reveals strong support for curbing arms exports to Israel
A majority of people in five nations – Brazil, Colombia, Greece, South Africa and Spain – believe that weapons companies should stop or reduce trade with Israel as its onslaught on Gaza continues, a poll reveals.
Spain showed the highest support for weapons deals to be halted, with 58 percent of respondents saying they should stop completely, followed by Greece at 57 percent and Colombia at 52 percent.
In Brazil, 37 percent of respondents believed arms companies should completely stop sales to Israel, while 22 percent believed they should be reduced. In South Africa, those levels stood at 46 and 20 percent, respectively.
“The people have spoken, and they refuse to be complicit. Across continents, ordinary citizens demand an end to the fuel that powers settler colonialism, apartheid and genocide,” said Ana Sanchez, a campaigner for Global Energy Embargo for Palestine.
Ireland calls for accountability for Palestinian activist killed by Israeli settler
The Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Ireland has said that it condemns the slaying of Palestinian rights activist Awdah Hathaleen by an Israeli settler in the occupied West Bank, where such acts of violence largely go unpunished by Israeli authorities.
“We condemn the killing of human rights defender [Hathaleen] in the West Bank,” the ministry said in a social media post. “Those responsible must be held accountable. There can be no impunity for perpetrators of settler violence. Ireland will continue to advocate for sanctions against individuals and entities involved.”
Israeli authorities released the shooter, Israeli settler Yinon Levi, who has said he is “glad” he killed Hathaleen and is reported to have returned to the scene of the shooting to continue harassing Palestinian residents. Israeli authorities have withheld Hathaleen’s body from his family.
