Ashleigh Subramanian-Montgomery’s Post

MHRKBMTVNEWS utterly unacceptable" and the White House was raising its concerns with "the highest level of the Israeli government". The humanitarian situation in Gaza - the intended destination of the aid trucks - is a matter of grave concern among many in the international community. The UN's World Food Programme has warned that Palestinians in northern Gaza are experiencing a "full-blown famine". In the south, where most Palestinians have sought refuge, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated after Israel launched an operation in eastern Rafah, closing the entry point for aid via Egypt. Aid agencies say getting supplies through another southern crossing, Kerem Shalom, is also extremely difficult due to the security situation there. Israel has long maintained that it is committed to facilitating deliveries of humanitarian aid into and within Gaza and has accused Hamas of stealing the aid designated for civilians. The incident came on the same day a UN staff member was killed and another injured as they travelled to a hospital in Gaza. UN says staff member killed in Gaza Gaza war weighs heavily as Israel marks memorial day Monday's incident coincided with Israel's memorial day, as the country stopped to pay its respects to those who have lost their lives in war and terrorism. According to Israel's defence ministry, the names of 826 people from the security forces were added to the list of the country's fallen this year, alongside 834 victims of terrorist attacks. Almost all of them were from the 7 October Hamas attacks and the war that followed in Gaza. Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas in response to the group's attack on southern Israel last year, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 252 others were taken hostage. More than 35,090 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. While the Israeli offensive has been focused on the Gaza Strip, tensions between Israeli settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank have heightened since the start of the war. Around 700,000 Israelis live in 160 settlements alongside 2.7 million Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to the settlement watchdog Peace Now. The international community regards the settlements as illegal, although Israel disputes this.

<!-- --> Tsav 9, also spelled Tzav 9, emerged in January this year. New Delhi: The US imposed sanctions on the far-right Israeli group Tsav 9 today in response to the group’s aggressive actions against humanitarian aid convoys destined for Gaza. These measures, enacted under an executive order signed by US President Joe Biden in February, are aimed at addressing violence and threats to stability in the West Bank. The US State Department has levied sanctions against the group described as a “violent, extremist Israeli group,” for obstructing convoys delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza and for assaulting trucks. According to the State Department, Tsav 9 members started blocking the crucial Kerem Shalom crossing near the Gaza-Israel-Egypt border at the beginning of the year. They subsequently set fire to trucks and injured drivers and Israel Defense Forces soldiers, exacerbating the hunger crisis within Gaza. What Is Tsav 9? Tsav 9, also spelled Tzav 9, emerged in January this year. The group’s name references “Tzav-8,” the emergency call-up order for Israeli military reservists. It was formed by Israeli settlers, army reservists, and families of those taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7 attacks last year. These individuals oppose the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, believing that much of the aid is diverted to Hamas. Since its formation, Tsav 9 has been implicated in numerous violent activities aimed at disrupting aid shipments to Gaza. The group’s tactics include blockading roads, harassing drivers, and vandalising trucks. They have attacked convoys at the Kerem Shalom crossing, setting trucks on fire, and injuring both drivers and Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers. Photo Credit: Reuters In May, Tsav 9 members looted and burned two aid trucks near Hebron, an act that was part of a broader campaign to prevent essential supplies from reaching Gaza. Footage has surfaced showing the group ransacking aid shipments, dumping food and medical supplies onto the road. These actions have contributed to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where famine conditions have been reported. International and Domestic Reactions US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan labelled the attacks as “utterly unacceptable,” while Aaron Forsberg, the director of the State Department’s Office of Sanctions Policy and Implementation, reiterated the US commitment to using all available tools to hold perpetrators accountable. “We’re using the authority to sanction an ever-broadening selection of actors, targeting individuals and entities that threaten the peace, security and stability of the West Bank regardless of religion, ethnicity or location,” Aaron Forsberg said, as quoted by news agency Reuters. Inside Israel, the response to Tsav 9 is mixed. While the group’s actions have sparked international outrage, there is significant domestic support for their opposition to aid shipments to Gaza. Several polls

About the incredible #grassroot movement that is #Tzav9, I'll dedicate a separate post. It's such an incredible journey that has given me and so many israelis a profound sense of hope and purpose during these dark days, we are all going through. Tzav 9 embodies the essence of #Zionism, our commitment for #justice and a deep concern for for the lives of our People, a story of love and respect for the IDF soldiers and police officers - those fighting in our name on the front lines as well as those standing "in front" of us, protecting us at home. Tzav 9 managed to UNITE about 80% of #israelis (and anyone knowing israeli politics knows it's no easy thing to do, ask the politicians) from all of the political spectrum, religious and secular, around the critical issue of the diversion of humanitarian aid by the terrorist organization Hamas. I am still working on a detailed post about Tzav 9. This movement deserves that much. But for now, I invite you to read about the recent US sanctions imposed by the Biden administration on the movement, and the (non-famine) situation in Gaza. One thing is clear: as it stands, Israel has no control over the aid once it crosses into Gaza. If there’s no neutral and impartial organization to monitor it, then it should be the IDF that makes sure that it goes to the right people. Whoever controls the humanitarian aid controls Gaza—and right now it’s Hamas”. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dsNCrHvF

⛔️ Israeli proposal to designate UNRWA as a terrorist organisation an outrageous attack on humanitarian assistance 👇 On 29 May, a bill aimed at designating UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, as a terrorist organisation passed a preliminary reading prior to three further readings in Israel’s Parliament, known as the Knesset. A second bill that would lead to the severing of all ties with the UN agency and strip it of various immunities was also proposed and passed a preliminary reading. These two bills would not only forbid UNRWA from operating in Israel entirely but would also criminalise the organisation, its activities and its staff. "The Israeli Knesset's preliminary bill to designate UNRWA as a terrorist organisation is an outrageous attack on humanitarian assistance and an act of collective punishment against the Palestinian people. We strongly condemn the proposed designation and stand in solidarity with UNRWA, which serves as a lifeline, providing essential relief to millions of Palestinians and acting as the backbone of aid delivery to the people in Gaza Strip, the West Bank and the region. By branding the UN agency created to aid Palestinian refugees as a terrorist entity, Israeli authorities would be perpetuating a narrative that vilifies and marginalises an entire population and those who provide them with assistance. This follows months of intimidation against UNRWA, including an attack on its offices in Jerusalem. It is the culmination of the continuous systematic obstruction of vital humanitarian aid, including into the Strip, effectively choking Gaza. This occurs while Israeli forces continue attacking populated areas resulting in mass civilian casualties in areas designated as ‘safe zones’ by Israeli forces, continue with the destruction of civilian infrastructures including hospitals, and with the repeated forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of people trapped in Gaza. Not only is humanitarian aid being obstructed but if the bill passes a final reading, it will also be criminalised under Israel’s Anti-Terrorism Law, in contradiction with international humanitarian law. This would have terrible consequences as it could amount to a free license to attack UNRWA facilities and its humanitarian personnel and would further endanger civilians seeking the protection of the UN Agency. Humanitarian workers must always be protected, and civilians spared. Israel’s allies, which are all members of the United Nations, must stand against this move to criminalise humanitarian assistance and ensure that UNRWA can continue its essential work. These governments must pressure Israel to stop the bloodshed and provide assistance to Gaza." - Christopher Lockyear, MSF Secretary General

US blocks UN Security Council demand for humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza https://ift.tt/v7gKOrW The United States vetoed a UN Security Council demand for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, even as it kept up pressure on Israel to do more to protect Palestinian civilians during a fierce offensive against Hamas militants across the enclave. Fighting escalated and the Palestinian death toll rose on Saturday, with Israel pounding the enclave from north to south in an expanded phase of the two-month-old war against the Iran-backed terrorist group Hamas. Decrying a “spiraling humanitarian nightmare,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday declared that nowhere in Gaza was safe for civilians, hours before the US vetoed a Security Council resolution backed by the vast majority of its members calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. The vote left Washington diplomatically isolated on the 15-member council. Thirteen members voted in favor of the draft resolution put forward by the United Arab Emirates, while Britain abstained. Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood told the council: “We do not support this resolution’s call for an unsustainable ceasefire that will only plant the seeds for the next war.” The United States and Israel oppose a ceasefire, saying it would benefit Hamas, which Israel has vowed to annihilate in response to the militants’ deadly Oct. 7 cross-border rampage. Washington instead supports “pauses” like the seven-day halt in fighting that saw Hamas release some hostages and the humanitarian aid flow increase. The deal broke down on Dec. 1. Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour told the council the vote means that “millions of Palestinian lives hang in the balance.” Smoke rises at the site of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, December 4, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa) Ezzat El-Reshiq, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, condemned the US veto as “inhumane.” Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan said in a statement: “A ceasefire will be possible only with the return of all the hostages and the destruction of Hamas.” In Iran, the main backer of Hamas, foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said: “Once again the US government has demonstrated that it is the main actor in the killing of Palestinian civilians, particularly women and children, and the destruction of Gaza’s vital infrastructure.” The White House on Friday said more could be done by Israel to reduce civilian casualties and the US shared international concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. “We certainly all recognize more can be done to try to reduce civilian casualties,” White House national security council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sharpened Washington’s language, saying it was imperative that Israel took steps to saf...

https://lnkd.in/eERrbTtD The U.S. government’s struggle to properly vet aid provided in terrorism hotspots, including in the Palestinian Territories, casts a shadow over the Biden administration’s efforts to end the war in Gaza and pressure Israel to establish Palestinian rule in the coastal strip. The Biden administration’s plans for post-war Gaza center on boosting the Palestinian Authority (PA), which currently controls significant portions of the West Bank and is ruled by the Fatah party, to take control despite consistent corruption warnings and poor governance, Just the News reported last week. Recently, the Biden administration announced it would help construct a special pier to deliver humanitarian resources to the strip while Israel prosecutes its war on Hamas. However, the records of the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in delivering funds to Palestine and other terrorism hotbeds, like Afghanistan, are less than stellar. For example, the grant money to the Phoenix Center for for Research and Field Studies, the Gaza-based group, is just one brick in a larger structure of U.S. aid that ends up in the hands of hostile groups. Two State Department grants to the Phoenix Center for for Research and Field Studies, a Gaza-based group with alleged terrorism ties, illustrates a key problem, one foreign policy expert told Just the News. A report from NGO Monitor, a watchdog organization that tracks global non-governmental organizations, originally found that the Biden's State Department had given two grants to the Gaza-based organization called the Phoenix Center for Research and Field Studies. The first grant was for about $30,000 for a program that began in August 2023 and is set to end in July of this year. A second grant was slated for $60,000, though it was “deobligated” in February due to the “current situation,” according to USASpending.gov. “This specific case of the Phoenix center is clear, two members of Congress have directed that letter, and then they want answers. But this is only the tip of the iceberg,” Walid Phares, a foreign policy analyst and author of several book on Iran, told the "Just the News, No Noise" TV show in an episode set to air Wednesday. Phares warned that ideologically sympathetic bureaucrats at the State Department and USAID may be contributing to a vetting problem in the U.S. government. “So when an organization is basically, you know, spreading the ideas, the ideologies of Hamas, and somebody within our own bureaucracy says, well, that's fine: this is a liberation movement, this is a resistance movement, they find stuff about it to convince the decision makers to grant them money. The problem is not anymore this organization, it's us, it's our bureaucracy,” Phares said.

Christopher Lockyear's statement highlights the urgent need for a legal, humanitarian, and enforced solution. The Israeli Knesset's proposed bills represent a direct attack on a vital humanitarian organization and a broader threat to international law and humanitarian aid. Suppose the international community does not take binding and decisive action. In that case, we risk setting a precedent where countries can arbitrarily label humanitarian organizations as terrorist entities, obstructing critical aid and protection for vulnerable populations. This could severely erode international norms and laws protecting humanitarian work and human rights. The impact on the international community would be profound, emboldening other states to disregard international laws and leading to increased suffering for those needing humanitarian aid. The criminalization of UNRWA could destabilize the region, exacerbating conflicts and endangering countless civilians and aid workers. The international community must unequivocally oppose these bills and enforce the role of international law. Failure to do so would undermine international law and compromise the safety and well-being of millions oppressed, where more genocides will happen.

Waiting for Mr. Guterres Tomorrow: The Usual or Something New for the Protection of Sudanese Civilians? Yasir Arman Tomorrow, Monday 28th October, 2024, the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Guterres, is scheduled to address the Security Council, focusing on the issues of the war in Sudan, particularly the humanitarian situation and the protection of civilians. To lower expectations, leaks attributed to his office have emerged, indicating that the situation is not conducive to deploying international forces to protect civilians. This is not surprising given that the warring parties have yet to reach a ceasefire agreement accompanied by a peacekeeping mission. However, it remains unacceptable for regional and international organizations, especially the Security Council, to allow the continuation of war crimes committed by both parties against civilians, spanning from El Fasher to Tamboul. It is expected that the war will spread to ten cities and areas in the coming weeks, exacerbating what is already the world’s largest humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan and potentially leading to the displacement of between 10 to 15 million new IDPs. Will the Secretary-General’s report be the same as his previous one, with only a few sentences, phrases, and numbers altered? In the absence of Chapter VII, could the Secretary-General demand the implementation of other binding provisions that would contribute to pressure for ending the war and the crimes against civilians, urging the Council to take new steps, including: 1. A joint meeting between the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, inviting both parties to attend. This will not be the first time as the Security Council previously held a meeting in Nairobi, addressed by the late Dr. John Garang and Ali Osman, to push for a peace agreement in Naivasha. The Security Council also once again, visited Khartoum with all its members to advance the implementation of the Naivasha Peace Agreement. 2. The implementation of economic and diplomatic sanctions. 3. Targeted smart sanctions. 4. Elevating mediation efforts and closely coordinating between the African Union, neighboring countries, and the Jeddah platform. 5. Strengthening measures to protect civilians in the absence of a military mission. 6. Calling for a temporary cessation of hostilities for a month, for example, to allow aid delivery and ensure freedom of movement for civilians. 7. Conditional humanitarian aid tied to the protection of civilians. All of this falls within the provisions and powers of the Security Council, ensuring that the Secretary-General’s address is not merely an occasion for condemnation and denunciation, but rather a call to utilize the measures available to the Security Council outside of Chapter VII.

Coalition Co-chair Charity & Security Network commissioned a study to assess the effects of UN Security Council Resolution 2664 on the financial and donor sectors. This landmark Resolution provides a humanitarian carve-out to asset freeze measures, facilitating humanitarian aid in challenging contexts. However, the carve-out for the 1267 ISIL/al-Qaida sanctions regime is timebound and set to expire in December 2024 unless renewed.   The study examines: 🔍 Financial Sector: How financial institutions have adapted their policies to process humanitarian transactions. 🔍 Donor Sector: How donors have adjusted funding agreements and grant conditions in response to the Resolution.   Based on its findings, the study offers data-driven recommendations for renewing the humanitarian carve-out and improving regulatory support for both sectors.   🔗 Read the full report to explore the full findings and recommendations https://lnkd.in/edpAnxqb Ashleigh Subramanian-Montgomery #UNSCR2464