NEW YORK: An independent UN human rights expert has condemned the “unlawful and heartless” actions of Israeli authorities in repeatedly demolishing homes belonging to the Palestinian Bedouin community of Humsa Al-Baqai’a, in the occupied West Bank.
Michael Lynk, the UN’s special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, called on the Jewish state to “immediately halt its property demolitions” there, return to full compliance with international humanitarian and human-rights obligations, and “provide protection for, rather than displacement of, the protected population.”
He urged the international community “to take meaningful accountability measures to ensure that Israel complies with its legal obligations.”
Noting that “criticism without consequences has rarely reversed illegal Israeli conduct in the past,” he added that “accountability has to rise to the top of the international community’s agenda. Only by imposing an escalating cost to Israel’s illegal occupation will there be the prospect that these injustices will end.”
Special rapporteurs are independent experts who serve in individual capacities, and on a voluntary basis, at the UN’s Human Rights Council. They are not members of UN staff and are not paid for their work.
Israeli forces demolished properties in the Palestinian Bedouin community of Humsa Al-Baqai’a in the Jordan Valley on July 7. The destroyed buildings included makeshift homes and farming facilities provided by the international community, including the EU, which has helped residents rebuild after previous demolitions.
It was the seventh time the village has been demolished since November 2020, when it was razed by the Israeli military. In addition to more than 70 shelters and farming structures — rebuilt by the international community after the first demolition — the latest round of demolitions also targeted 11 households. About 70 residents, including 35 children, were left without shelter in the sweltering heat, and their belongings, including food, water and clothing, were confiscated.
Under the Oslo Accords, the Jordan Valley, which makes up about 60 percent of the occupied West Bank, is classified as “Area C,” which means it is completely under Israeli military and civil control. Humsa Al-Baqai’a is mostly in an area designated as a “firing zone” for Israeli military training, and residency or access by Palestinians is prohibited.
Lynk warned of a high risk of forcible relocation of the Bedouin community from the area, which he said would be “a grave breach and a potential war crime.”
“These (herding) communities are extremely vulnerable, both because they have limited access to water, sanitation, education and electrical power, and because the Israeli military has seized large swaths of their traditional lands for military firing zones,” he added.
He contrasted the plight of this Palestinian community with “the illegal Israeli settlements in the Jordan Valley (which) are left undisturbed by the military.
“This progressive seizure of Palestinian lands, together with the protection of the settlements, is a further consolidation of Israel’s de facto annexation of the West Bank,” Lynk said.
Since the start of this year, according to UN figures, Israel has destroyed at least 421 Palestinian-owned properties across the West Bank, displacing 592 people, including 320 children.
Israeli demolition of Bedouin homes in West Bank ‘unlawful and heartless,’ says UN expert
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Israeli demolition of Bedouin homes in West Bank ‘unlawful and heartless,’ says UN expert
- Special rapporteur Michael Lynk also warned that a forcible relocation of the Palestinian Bedouins from Humsa Al-Baqai’a would be a ‘war crime’
- He urged the international community ‘to take meaningful accountability measures to ensure that Israel complies with its legal obligations’
We will recognize the State of Palestine soon, Macron tells Asharq News
- French president: ‘I have agreed with the Saudi crown prince to postpone the New York conference to a date in the near future’
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron pledged, in statements to Asharq News on the sidelines of a meeting with journalists and representatives of Palestinian and Israeli civil society institutions, that his country will recognize the State of Palestine at an upcoming conference that France will organize with Saudi Arabia in New York.
In response to a question about whether there are conditions for recognizing the Palestinian state, Macron said: “There are no conditions. Recognition will take place through a process that includes stopping the war on Gaza, restoring humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, releasing Israeli hostages, and disarming Hamas.”
He stressed: “This is one package.”
Macron indicated that France and Saudi Arabia have agreed to postpone the UN conference they are co-organizing, which was originally scheduled to take place in New York next week. He noted that current developments have prevented Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from traveling to New York.
Macron explained that he had spoken several times with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Friday and Palestinian President Abbas, and it was agreed to “postpone the meeting to a date in the near future.”
He also claimed that the president of Indonesia, which currently does not officially recognize Israel, had pledged to do so if France recognizes the State of Palestine. Macron emphasized “the need for maintaining this dynamic.”
The International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine, scheduled to be held in New York from June 17-20 and co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, outlined in its paper a commitment to the “two-state solution” as the foundational reference. The paper defines a timeline for implementation, outlines the practical obligations of all parties involved, and calls for the establishment of international mechanisms to ensure the continuity of the process.
Asharq News obtained a copy of the paper, which asserts that the implementation of the two-state solution must proceed regardless of local or regional developments. It ensures the full recognition of a Palestinian state as part of a political solution that upholds people’s rights and responds to their aspirations for peace and security.
The paper highlights that the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and the war on Gaza have led to an unprecedented escalation in violence and casualties, resulting in the most severe humanitarian crisis to date, widespread destruction, and immense suffering for civilians on both sides, including detainees, their families, and residents of Gaza.
It further confirms that settlement activities pose a threat to the two-state solution, which it states is the only path to achieving a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace in the region. The paper notes that the settlement activities undermine regional and international peace, security, and prosperity.
According to the paper, the conference aims to alter the current course by building on national, regional, and international initiatives and adopting concrete measures to uphold international law. The conference will also focus on advancing a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace that ensures security for all the people of the region and fosters regional integration.
The conference reaffirms the international community’s unwavering commitment to a peaceful resolution of the Palestinian cause and the two-state solution, highlighting the urgent need to act in pursuit of these objectives.
Iranian media claims Israeli pilots captured, IDF denies
DUBAI: The Iranian army has claimed they have downed a third Israeli F-35 fighter jet since Israel’s attacks began on Friday.
State Iranian media, Tehran Times, reported that one pilot is believed to have been liquidated and another captured by Iranian forces.
However, the Israeli Defense Forces denied the claims dubbing the news “fake”.
“This news being spread by Iranian media is completely baseless” the IDF’s Arabic spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday the launch of “Operation Rising Lion” against Iran in an effort to deter the Iranian threat of nuclear weapons to Israel. Netanyahu confirmed the operation will continue until the mission is accomplished.
Closure of Strait of Hormuz seriously being reviewed by Iran, lawmaker says
- The Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Oman and Iran, is the world’s most important gateway for oil shipping
The closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz was being seriously reviewed by Iran, IRINN reported, citing statements by Esmail Kosari, a member of the parliament’s security commission.
The Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Oman and Iran, is the world’s most important gateway for oil shipping.
Jordan reopens airspace to civilian aircraft
- Jordan said airlines would be provided with the “necessary” information to notify passengers and stakeholders of the latest data on air traffic
DUBAI: Jordan has reopened its airspace to civilian aircraft on Saturday, signaling belief there was no longer an immediate danger of further attacks after crossfire between Israel and Iran disrupted East-West travel through the Middle East.
But the country “is continuing to assess risks to civil aviation and monitor developments after Jordan’s airspace was reopened this morning,” a statement from the civil aviation authority said, and reported by state-run Petra news.
The Kingdom on Friday closed its airspace to all flights due to the barrage of missiles and rockets from Iran.
The statement also said airlines would be provided with the “necessary” information to notify passengers and stakeholders of the latest data on air traffic.
Lebanon’s government also temporarily reopened its airspace on Saturday.
Lebanon reopened its airspace on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. (0700 GMT).
The airspace will be shut again starting from 10:30 p.m. (1930 GMT) until 6:00 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Sunday, NNA reported, citing the Lebanese civil aviation authority.
Iran warns US, UK and France against helping stop strikes on Israel
- Tehran warns their bases and ships in the region will be targeted
SUMMARY
Tehran has warned the US, UK and France that their bases and ships in the region will be targeted if they help stop Iranian strikes on Israel.
Around 60 people, including 20 children, were killed in an Israeli attack on a housing complex in Iranian capital Tehran.
Israel’s defense chief warns that ‘Tehran will burn’ if it keeps firing missiles at Israeli civilians.
Iran’s civil aviation authority has declared the country’s airspace closed “until further notice.”
Iran says Israel killed three more nuclear scientists, total now nine.
CAIRO: Iran has warned the United States, United Kingdom and France that their bases and ships in the region will be targeted if they help stop Tehran’s strikes on Israel, Iran state media reported on Saturday.
Iran’s state TV also reported that around 60 people, including 20 children, were killed in an Israeli attack on a housing complex in Iranian capital Tehran. Two people were also killed in an Israeli attack on a missile site in Assadabad in western Iran.
Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported an Israeli strike near the northwestern Tabriz refinery, saying smoke was rising from the facility.
Three Iranian nuclear scientists have been killed in Israeli attacks, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday. The scientists were identified as Ali Bakaei Karimi, Mansour Asgari, and Saeid Borji, Tasnim said.
Iran’s strikes against Israel will continue, with targets set to expand to include US bases in the region in the coming days, Iran’s Fars news agency reported on Saturday, citing senior Iranian military officials.
READ: Iran strikes back at Israel as flights across the region are cancelled
“This confrontation will not end with last night’s limited actions and Iran’s strikes will continue, and this action will be very painful and regrettable for the aggressors,” Fars reported, citing senior military officials.
They were quoted saying that the war would “spread in the coming days to all areas occupied by this (Israeli) regime and American bases in the region”.
Iran’s Esfahan and Natanz nuclear sites significantly damaged
Iran’s Esfahan and Natanz nuclear sites were significantly damaged due to Israeli strikes on the two facilities, an Israeli military official said on Saturday.
The official said that it would take more than a few weeks for Iran to repair damage at the two sites, adding that the strikes also killed nine senior nuclear Iranian scientists.
Israel attacked over 150 targets in Iran with hundreds of munitions, the official said, adding that the aerial road to the Iranian capital Tehran was effectively open.
He said that Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles toward Israel, most of which were intercepted.
‘Tehran will burn’
Defense Minister Israel Katz on Saturday warned that “Tehran will burn” if Iran fired more missiles at Israel, as the arch foes traded fire for a second day.
“The Iranian dictator is turning the citizens of Iran into hostages and bringing about a reality in which they – especially the residents of Tehran – will pay a heavy price because of the criminal harm to Israeli civilians,” Katz was quoted as saying in a statement.
“If (Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei continues to fire missiles toward the Israeli home front – Tehran will burn.”
READ: How Israeli strikes have pushed Iran’s leadership into a corner
The threat of a wider war comes as Iran and Israel continue targeting each other on Saturday after Israel launched its biggest-ever air offensive against its longtime foe in a bid to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.
Iran airspace closed ‘until further notice’
Iran’s civil aviation authority has declared the country’s airspace closed “until further notice,” state media reported Saturday, as Israel and Iran continued to trade fire for a second day.
“No flights will be operated at any airports in the country in order to protect the safety of passengers... until further notice,” the official IRNA news agency said.
