[81]
”Het was onze bedoeling om ons standpunt ten opzichte van zionistische praktijken kenbaar te maken, die hebben geleid tot de huidige onderdrukking van het Palestijnse volk. Het is een standpunt dat we vanaf het begin innemen, omdat onze visie een wereld is zonder strijd, onderdrukking en uitsluiting vanwege wie je bent, van wie je houdt of hoe je je identificeert
”QUEER AMSTERDAMSTATEMENT OVER POST 12 JULI 2024
Beste gemeenschap,
We verduidelijken graag ons vorige bericht, dat inmiddels is gearchiveerd. Daarin stond onder andere dat ‘Israëlische vlaggen niet zijn toegestaan’ op de Pride Walk. Dit heeft voor begrijpelijke opschudding gezorgd.
Het was onze bedoeling om ons standpunt ten opzichte van zionistische praktijken kenbaar te maken, die hebben geleid tot de huidige onderdrukking van het Palestijnse volk. Het is een standpunt dat we vanaf het begin innemen, omdat onze visie een wereld is zonder strijd, onderdrukking en uitsluiting vanwege wie je bent, van wie je houdt of hoe je je identificeert. Wij willen een wereld waarin iedereen zichzelf kan zijn en vrij kan liefhebben en leven. Dit betreft alle plaatsen in de wereld, aangezien er overal LHBTQIAP+ mensen bestaan en wij aan elkaar verbonden zijn.
We begrijpen dat onze formulering wellicht verwarrend is, omdat er geen context werd geboden. Dat hebben we gemist en is een menselijke fout.
We willen ons oprecht verontschuldigen voor de verwarring, vooral als er leden binnen onze gemeenschap zijn die het gevoel hebben dat ze niet welkom zijn.
We verwelkomen iedereen die aanwezig is op de Pride Walk om steun en solidariteit te tonen aan LHBTQIAP+ mensen over de hele wereld die niet volledig zichzelf kunnen zijn, ook in Nederland. En we verwelkomen iedereen die onze boodschap tegen onderdrukkende praktijken en voor inclusie en vrijheid van alle mensen onderschrijft. En iedereen die op zoek is naar verbinding en gemeenschap.
In de aankomende periode richten we ons nu op het organiseren van een succesvolle Pride Walk, waarbij we naast elkaar kunnen protesteren, huilen en lachen. We hebben geweldige sprekers van diverse achtergronden en lagen van de bevolking die onze volledige aandacht verdienen, zoals activisten uit de organisaties Erev Nav, Homomonument en Amsterdam City Rights.
We hopen alle misverstanden te hebben opgehelderd en op jullie coulance, nu we dit drukke seizoen ingaan, om het beste van deze Queer Amsterdam-maand te maken.
Met oprechtheid, liefde en solidariteit.
EINDE
”Stichting Queer Amsterdam meldde donderdag op Instagram dat Israëlische vlaggen niet zijn toegestaan bij de Pride Walk door het Amsterdamse centrum.”
HET PAROOL
QUEER AMSTERDAM BIEDT EXCUSES AAN VOOR POST OVER
WEREN ISRAELISCHE VLAG
13 JULI 2024
De organisatie achter de Pride Walk, Queer Amsterdam, heeft zaterdag haar excuses aangeboden na een bericht donderdag dat tot enige ophef heeft geleid. Daarin stond dat bij die Pride Walk Israëlische vlaggen niet zijn toegestaan.
Burgemeester Femke Halsema liet daarop weten dat er geen sprake is van een verbod op die vlag. Dat eerste bericht ‘heeft voor begrijpelijke opschudding gezorgd’, stelt Queer Amsterdam nu.
Stichting Queer Amsterdam meldde donderdag op Instagram dat Israëlische vlaggen niet zijn toegestaan bij de Pride Walk door het Amsterdamse centrum. Ook vanuit de Amsterdamse politiek werd daar verbaasd op gereageerd. Halsema benadrukte dat een organisatie mensen die willen meelopen niet mag verbieden om zich te uiten. “Het is onacceptabel dat mensen die een vlag willen meedragen, dat niet zouden mogen”, aldus de burgemeester.
In een bericht laat de organisatie weten: “We begrijpen dat onze formulering wellicht verwarrend is, omdat er geen context werd geboden. Dat hebben we gemist en is een menselijke fout. We willen ons oprecht verontschuldigen voor de verwarring, vooral als er leden binnen onze gemeenschap zijn die het gevoel hebben dat ze niet welkom zijn.”
Uit de excuses wordt niet duidelijk of vlaggen wat betreft de organisatie nu wel of niet welkom zijn. Queer Amsterdam is niet bereikbaar voor een toelichting. In het bericht zegt de organisatie dat het de bedoeling was om ‘ons standpunt ten opzichte van zionistische praktijken kenbaar te maken, die hebben geleid tot de huidige onderdrukking van het Palestijnse volk’.
De Pride Walk, een optocht door de stad, is op zaterdag 20 juli.
EINDE BERICHT
[82]
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL EN HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH OVER
HET ISRAELISCHE APARTHEIDSREGIME
INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
APPLICATION OF THE CONVENTION AND PUNISHMENT OF THE
CRIME OF GENOCIDE IN THE GAZA STRIP (SOUTH AFRICA VS ISRAEL)
24 MAY 2024
INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
Peace Palace, Carnegieplein 2, 2517 KJ The Hague, Netherlands
Tel.: +31 (0)70 302 2323 Fax: +31 (0)70 364 9928
Press Release Unofficial
No. 2024/47
24 May 2024
Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in
the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel)
Request for the modification of the Order of 28 March 2024
The Court reaffirms its previous provisional measures and indicates new measures
THE HAGUE, 24 May 2024. The International Court of Justice today delivered its Order on
the request for the modification and the indication of provisional measures submitted by South Africa
on 10 May 2024 in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel).
In its Order, the Court:
“(1) By thirteen votes to two
Reaffirms the provisional measures indicated in its Orders of 26 January 2024
and 28 March 2024, which should be immediately and effectively implemented;
IN FAVOUR: President Salam; Judges Abraham, Yusuf, Xue, Bhandari, Iwasawa,
Nolte, Charlesworth, Brant, Gómez Robledo, Cleveland, Aurescu, Tladi;
AGAINST: Vice-President Sebutinde; Judge ad hoc Barak;
(2) Indicates the following provisional measures:
The State of Israel shall, in conformity with its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and in view of the
worsening conditions of life faced by civilians in the Rafah Governorate:
(a) By thirteen votes to two
Immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah
Governorate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that
could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
IN FAVOUR: President Salam; Judges Abraham, Yusuf, Xue, Bhandari, Iwasawa,
Nolte, Charlesworth, Brant, Gómez Robledo, Cleveland, Aurescu, Tladi;
PAGE 2
– 2 –
AGAINST: Vice-President Sebutinde; Judge ad hoc Barak;
(b) By thirteen votes to two,
Maintain open the Rafah crossing for unhindered provision at scale of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance;
IN FAVOUR: President Salam; Judges Abraham, Yusuf, Xue, Bhandari, Iwasawa,
Nolte, Charlesworth, Brant, Gómez Robledo, Cleveland, Aurescu, Tladi;
AGAINST: Vice-President Sebutinde; Judge ad hoc Barak;
(c) By thirteen votes to two,
Take effective measures to ensure the unimpeded access to the Gaza Strip of any
commission of inquiry, fact-finding mission or other investigative body mandated by
competent organs of the United Nations to investigate allegations of genocide;
IN FAVOUR: President Salam; Judges Abraham, Yusuf, Xue, Bhandari, Iwasawa
Nolte, Charlesworth, Brant, Gómez Robledo, Cleveland, Aurescu, Tladi;
AGAINST: Vice-President Sebutinde; Judge ad hoc Barak;
(3) By thirteen votes to two,
Decides that the State of Israel shall submit a report to the Court on all measures
taken to give effect to this Order, within one month as from the date of this Order.
IN FAVOUR: President Salam; Judges Abraham, Yusuf, Xue, Bhandari, Iwasawa,
Nolte, Charlesworth, Brant, Gómez Robledo, Cleveland, Aurescu, Tladi;
AGAINST: Vice-President Sebutinde; Judge ad hoc Barak.”
Vice-President SEBUTINDE appends a dissenting opinion to the Order of the Court;
Judges NOLTE, AURESCU and TLADI append declarations to the Order of the Court;
Judge ad hoc BARAK appends a dissenting opinion to the Order of the Court.
In its Order, the Court emphasizes that the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza
Strip which, as stated in its Order of 26 January 2024, was at serious risk of deteriorating, has
deteriorated, and has done so even further since the Court adopted its Order of 28 March 2024. It
notes that,
“[a]fter weeks of intensification of military bombardments of Rafah, where more than
a million Palestinians had fled as a result of Israeli evacuation orders covering more
than three quarters of Gaza’s entire territory, on 6 May 2024, nearly
100,000 Palestinians were ordered by Israel to evacuate the eastern portion of Rafah and
relocate to the Al-Mawasi and Khan Younis areas ahead of a planned military offensive
PAGE 3
3 –
The military ground offensive in Rafah, which Israel started on 7 May 2024, is still
ongoing and has led to new evacuation orders. As a result, according to United Nations
reports, nearly 800,000 people have been displaced from Rafah as at 18 May 2024.”
The Court considers that these developments are exceptionally grave and constitute “a change in the
situation within the meaning of Article 76 of the Rules of Court”. The Court is also of the view that
the provisional measures indicated in its Order of 28 March 2024, as well as those reaffirmed therein,
do not fully address the consequences arising from the change in the situation, thus justifying the
modification of these measures
The Court further considers that, on the basis of the information before it, the immense risks
associated with a military offensive in Rafah have started to materialize and will intensify even
further if the operation continues. In addition, the Court is
“not convinced that the evacuation efforts and related measures that Israel affirms to
have undertaken to enhance the security of civilians in the Gaza Strip, and in particular
those recently displaced from the Rafah Governorate, are sufficient to alleviate the
immense risk to which the Palestinian population is exposed as a result of the military
offensive in Rafah”.
A summary of the Order appears in the document entitled “Summary 2024/6”, to which
summaries of the opinions and declarations are annexed. This summary and the full text of the Order
are available on the case page on the Court’s website.
Earlier press releases relating to this case are also available on the Court’s website.
Note: The Court’s press releases are prepared by its Registry for information purposes only
and do not constitute official documents.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
It was established by the United Nations Charter in June 1945 and began its activities in April 1946.
The Court is composed of 15 judges elected for a nine-year term by the General Assembly and the
Security Council of the United Nations. The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague
(Netherlands). The Court has a twofold role: first, to settle, in accordance with international law,
legal disputes submitted to it by States; and, second, to give advisory opinions on legal questions
referred to it by duly authorized United Nations organs and agencies of the system.
PAGE 4
– 4 –
Information Department:
Ms Monique Legerman, First Secretary of the Court, Head of Department: +31 (0)70 302 2336
Ms Joanne Moore, Information Officer: +31 (0)70 302 2337
Mr Avo Sevag Garabet, Associate Information Officer: +31 (0)70 302 2394
Email: info@icj-cij.org
EN ZOALS WE WETEN, IS ISRAEL GEWOON DOORGEGAAN MET
HET RAFAH OFFENSIEF………………
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
WORLD LEADERS FAIL TO ACT AS ISRAELI INVASION OF
RAFAH WORSENS HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE
15 MAY 2024
Despite repeated calls on Israel from heads of state, UN officials and humanitarian NGOs to refrain from expanding its ground offensive to Rafah, Israeli troops entered the governorate on May 7. Over 1.5 million people, including 600,000 children, are at serious risk; more than 450,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah since Israel first issued unlawful “evacuation orders” there on May 6. While the Israeli army has already taken control of urban areas inside Rafah, the issuance of new “evacuation orders” on May 11 is setting the stage for further advancement of the military invasion, which will lead to the total collapse of lifesaving services. The Israeli military offensive has interrupted the access of aid to Gaza through Rafah and Kerem Shalom / Karm Abu Salem crossings.
“The Israeli military invasion of Rafah took us back to last October, when we had to stop almost all our operations. Our team had to flee Rafah, they do not know where to go. We had to close the two clinics we had opened there, where we were treating about 500 people a day. We are now setting up a new medical camp where people have fled to, but it will take a few days,” said Florence RIGAL, President of Médecins du Monde France.
“In the meantime, people are left without access to healthcare. We have been warning for months that Israel must be stopped from entering Rafah or Gaza would face an even greater humanitarian catastrophe. The inaction of third countries is seen as a lack of concern for the consequences for the exhausted civilian population. It is unacceptable and immediate action must be taken to prevent further suffering.”
Third States have the responsibility to urgently act in bringing to an end, and pursue accountability for, the Grave Breaches of IHL taking place in Gaza. The first step for Third States in upholding their own legal obligations to ensure IHL is respected is to stop the Rafah invasion, open all land crossings and lift internal barriers for humanitarian access. As the main weapon provider for Israel’s military effort, the United States bears a significant responsibility for Israel’s IHL violations. In addition to halting the transfer of high payload bombs, the US should also use all its leverage to halt the ongoing military operation in Rafah. In fact, All suppliers of arms have to respect the Human Rights Council resolution voted on April 5 calling on them to cease the sale, transfer and diversion of arms, munitions and other military equipment to Israel. All states must act now to ensure an immediate and sustained ceasefire.
The Israeli military’s “evacuation orders” are unlawful and amount to forcible transfer, a grave violation of international humanitarian law (IHL). Israel has ordered hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee, without providing civilians and humanitarian actors clear information nor timeframe. IHL sets clear conditions for an evacuation to be lawful: the occupying power must ensure that these displacements are temporary and that displaced persons are provided with satisfactory conditions of hygiene, health, safety and nutrition, and members of the same family must not be separated. Israeli authorities have failed to meet any of these requirements. Already burdened by multiple displacements, people in Rafah are yet again being ordered to flee amidst destroyed infrastructure and streets contaminated by unexploded ordinances. Displaced individuals are seeking refuge in the Middle Area, Khan Younis and Al Mawasi despite high levels of destruction and lack all necessities to sustain life. The concept of “humanitarian safe zones” is void as areas previously designated as such have been targeted by bombing and ground operations. While the relentless bombardment persists in Rafah, airstrikes and ground assaults are escalating in the North, leading to additional forcible displacement in the enclave.
The Israeli military ground invasion of Rafah is disrupting the humanitarian response, in breach of the UN Security Council resolutions 2720 and2728 as well as the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures ordering Israel to enable the provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance. As a result of Israel’s military activity in the northern governorates in previous months, humanitarian actors have been forced to relocate a significant portion of aid capacities in Rafah, including premises and warehouses. The Israeli offensive is now already forcing part of humanitarian staff and operations to close or to relocate again to other areas under extremely dangerous circumstances. Warehouses containing direly needed lifesaving aid in eastern Rafah remain inaccessible due to the presence of Israeli forces. Medical facilities in Rafah are shutting down one after another[1].
Every hour during which Israeli forces occupy the crossings of Rafah and Kerem Shalom / Karm Abu Salem condemns more Palestinians to starvation and denial of medical care. Israeli forces are completely preventing humanitarian aid and staff from using the Rafah crossing. The heavy militarization around the Kerem Shalom / Karm Abu Salem crossing resulting from the Israeli ground invasion does not provide the conditions for sustained movement of humanitarian convoys. These two crossings constitute the main critical lifeline for entry of aid into the enclave: their closures are plunging Gaza into an even larger humanitarian disaster. While the state of famine has been confirmed by the World Food Program in northern Gaza and the health system sinks deeper into collapse, stocks of critical aid provisions, including food, water, fuel and medical supplies are rapidly depleting. This already resulted in the closure of services essential to civilians’ survival[2]. The extremely limited reopening of the northern crossings or the prospect of a maritime route cannot be used as a rationale to justify diminishing access through southern land crossings.
The depletion of fuel poses a grave risk of halting humanitarian operations and basic services. The functioning of the whole humanitarian response depends on fuel, including to address priority needs of more than 1.7 million displaced persons. Urgently prioritizing the immediate entry of fuel is crucial to sustain what of Gaza’s devastated health system and humanitarian response[3].
Jamil Sawalmeh, ActionAid Palestine Country Director | occupied Palestinian territory, said:
“The only result of the ongoing ground invasion in Rafah is that more human suffering is caused. People are being forcibly pushed into the already overcrowded so-called ‘humanitarian zones,’ where many people cannot even find shelter. It is time to put maximum pressure on Israel and the international community to end the repeated forcible displacement of the people of Gaza. It is equally important to ensure the reopening of the Rafah crossing, which is the only lifeline for more than 2 million vulnerable people.”
Signatories:
- ActionAid
- Action Against Hunger
- American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
- Amnesty International
- A.M. Qattan Foundation
- Anera
- Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)
- DanChurch Aid (DCA)
- Humanity & Inclusion/ Handicap International (HI)
- IM Swedish Development Partner
- INTERSOS
- Médecins du Monde International Network
- Mennonite Central Committee
- Mercy Corps
- Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)
- Norwegian People’s Aid
- Oxfam
- Plan International
- Relief International
- War Child Alliance
[1] Al Najjar hospital, the largest health facility in the governorate, ceased operations as it is located in the area seized by Israeli forces, and Al Kuwaiti hospital is likely to follow as it is now included in the zone threatened by Israeli “evacuation orders”.
[2] Eight out of the twelve bakeries of Southern Gaza, while more throughout the enclave are at risk of shutting operations down due to the lack of supplies and fuel. Medical evacuations have abruptly halted, directly condemning critical patients, including children, to death.
[3] Of particular concern, at least 10 hospitals, 8 bakeries, 28 ambulances, 23 medical points and 17 primary health care centres could stop operating if fuel is not urgently allowed in the enclave. The lives of babies in intensive care, women with complicated pregnancies and births and trauma patients are hanging in the balance. The dire lack of fuel also endangers telecommunication, which is already negatively impacting humanitarian operations in Gaza.