Five members of the SAS have been arrested by British military police on suspicion of allegedly committing war crimes while on operations in Syria. The case against the five revolves around the alleged murder of a suspected jihadist in Syria who was killed on operations two years ago. Case files recommending prosecution of murder charges have been sent by service police to the Service Prosecuting Authority, the military equivalent of the CPS. It is alleged the five used excessive force in the incident, although the soldiers involved are understood to deny this, arguing they believed the dead...
On Friday, President Biden announced plans to carryout a US military airdrop of food and supplies into Gaza. The announcement comes just a day after Israeli forces opened fire on thousands of Palestinians lining up for desperately needed food assistance. The massacre left more than 750 wounded and killed at least 112 Palestinans. Biden has stated that the military airdrop will take place in the coming days. He added that the United States is also currently exploring additional ways of getting aid to Palestinians. White House spokesperson, John Kirby, emphasized that this would be an ongoing...
Human rights experts have condemned a decision by Indonesia’s outgoing president to award the rank of honorary four-star general to his presumed successor, Prabowo Subianto, a controversial figure accused of human rights violations. Prabowo, 72, a former son-in-law of the dictator Suharto and a special commander under his regime was dismissed from the military over allegations he was involved in kidnapping and torturing pro-democracy activists in 1998. Prabowo, who has since softened his image by presenting himself as a harmless grandpa , is presumed to have won this month’s presidential...
Nicaragua has filed a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Germany for providing Israel financial and military aid, and for suspending funding for the UN Palestinian Refugee Agency (UNRWA). The case brought on by Nicaragua builds on South Africa's ICJ case against Israel. In it Nicaragua states that Germany is violating the 1948 Genocide convention and the 1949 Geneva convention on the laws of war in the occupied Palestinian territories. Nicaragua has asked the ICJ to issue emergency measures that would require Germany to stop its military aid to Israel. Typically, the...
A member of the US Air Force has died after setting himself on fire outside of the Israeli Embassy in Washington in protest against Israel’s war on Gaza. The 25-year-old US airman, Aaron Bushnell of San Antonio, Texas, died from his injuries on Monday according to the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, DC. Before setting himself on fire, Mr. Bushnell reportedly livestreamed himself on the streaming site, Twitch, declaring that he would “not be complicit in genocide.” After setting himself on fire, Mr. Bushnell repeatedly shouted “Free Palestine.” The Air Force stated that it would...
The UN Human Rights Office has stated that warring sides in Sudan have committed abuses that could amount to war crimes, including indiscriminate attacks on civilian sites such as hospitals, markets, and refugee camps. The 10-month conflict has killed thousands and displaced approximately 8 million people. In the report, Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated, "Some of these violations would amount to war crimes." He emphasizes that "The guns must be silenced, and civilians must be protected." The UN report investigates incidents throughout December. In addition to the...
UN experts are calling for a full investigation into credible allegations that Palestinian women and girls have been subjected to sexual assault while in Israeli detention. A panel of experts has stated that there is evidence of at least two cases of rape alongside other cases of sexual humiliation and threats of rape. The UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, has stated that the actual extent of the sexual violence could be significantly higher. Alsalem says "We might not know for a long time what the actual number of victims are." Reem Alsalem also notes...
The UK’s minister for veterans, Johnny Mercer, has effectively admitted in front of a public inquiry that he believed members of the SAS had engaged in dozens of unlawful killings of Afghan civilians between 2010 and 2013. Asked by the chair of the inquiry to clarify that he was describing "allegations of straight murder" by the SAS, Mr Mercer replied, "Yes." The Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan, launched in the wake of reporting by the BBC and other media outlets, is investigating whether British special forces killed civilians and unarmed people on night raids in Afghanistan...
The Foreign Secretary has announced sanctions on 4 extremist Israeli settlers who have committed human rights abuses against Palestinian communities in the West Bank. There have been unprecedented levels of violence by extremist settlers in the West Bank over the past year. Some residents of illegal Israeli settlements and outposts have used harassment, intimidation and violence to put pressure on Palestinian communities to leave their land. The government notice said that the most recent sanctions will target extremist Israeli settlers who have “violently attacked Palestinians” in the...
In a joint statement published on Wednesday, the leaders of Canada, New Zealand, and Australia call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza in response to Israel's planned military operation in Rafah. The statement emphasizes that Rafah is currently providing refuge for 1.5 million Palestinians and that an expanded military operation would be catastrophic. "An immediate humanitarian ceasefire is urgently needed. Hostages must be released. The need for humanitarian assistance in Gaza has never been greater. Rapid, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian relief must be provided to civilians,"...