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Palestinian Authority, Hamas hail ICJ’s ruling on Gaza

By
IFP Media Wire
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ICJ

“We call on all states to ensure that all provisional measures ordered by the Court are implemented, including by Israel, the occupying power,” Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki stated, stressing that the world court’s decision, issued earlier on Friday, constituted a “binding legal obligation.”

“States now have clear legal obligations to stop Israel’s genocidal war on the Palestinian people in Gaza and to make sure that they are not complicit,” he continued.

Al-Maliki added that the international court’s decision is “an important reminder that no state is above the law.

“It should serve as a wake-up call for Israel and actors who enabled its entrenched impunity.”

He voiced Palestine’s “eternal gratitude to the people and government of South Africa for taking this bold step of active solidarity,” adding that Palestinian authorities would “continue to work closely with South Africa and other countries to ensure that justice is served”.

In an interim decision in the genocide case filed by South Africa in The Hague, the ICJ ordered Israel earlier on Friday to take “all measures within its power” to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza, but fell short of ordering a cease-fire.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas which Tel Aviv says killed 1,200 people.

At least 26,000 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and 64,500 injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh also said the decision “confirms the end of Israel’s impunity era”.

“The decision means the end of Israel’s impunity era, and it imposes on countries that support Israel to stop supporting and assisting it,” he stated.

“We had hoped that the court’s decision would include an immediate ceasefire, given the severe suffering of our people in the strip, with daily massacres claiming the lives of hundreds, mostly children and women, in addition to the spread of famine and epidemics among those besieged in shelters.”

Shtayyeh added the response to the complaint filed by South Africa carries a “high degree of importance”, as it puts Israel “in the dock as a war criminal, the first time it stands in this capacity before the International Court of Justice.”

He voiced his country’s gratitude to South Africa “for its presentation of court files and professional arguments condemning Israel for its crimes against the Palestinian people”.

Shtayyeh also expressed hope that “the court will continue its deliberations until the final decision is issued, condemning Israel for its acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people, unprecedented since World War II.”

The prime minister held Israel “fully responsible for the exacerbation of the catastrophic humanitarian conditions experienced by our people in the region”.

He called for “pressure to be exerted on Israel to compel it to stop its aggression and facilitate the urgent flow of humanitarian aid and relief supplies to the region”.

Palestinian Hamas group has also welcomed the ICJ provisional order on the Israeli onslaught on the blockaded enclave.

In a statement, the Hamas group said the order issued by the top UN court means “the halt of all forms of [Israeli] aggression on our Palestinian people in Gaza.”

It urged the international community to compel Israel to implement the ICJ ruling and halt its ongoing “genocide crime” against the Palestinians in Gaza.

The group added it looks forward to the final ruling on the genocide case filed by South Africa against Israel.

UN agency probes employees over suspected involvement in October 7 attack on Israel

By
IFP Media Wire
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UNRWA

“The Israeli authorities have provided UNRWA with information about the alleged involvement of several UNRWA employees in the horrific attacks on Israel on October 7,” Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), said on Friday.

“To protect the agency’s ability to deliver humanitarian assistance, I have taken the decision to immediately terminate the contracts of these staff members and launch an investigation in order to establish the truth without delay.”

Lazzarini did not disclose the number of employees allegedly involved in the attacks, nor the nature of their alleged involvement. He added, however, that “any UNRWA employee who was involved in acts of terror” would be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “horrified by this news”, according to his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric. He added that the UN chief had asked Lazzarini to conduct a probe to ensure any UNRWA employee guilty of abetting the October 7 attacks be terminated and referred for potential criminal prosecution.

The US Department of State noted it was troubled by the allegations, which it said pertained to 12 UNRWA employees. It said it would provide no additional funding to the agency until the allegations were addressed.

“The Department of State has temporarily paused additional funding for UNRWA while we review these allegations and the steps the United Nations is taking to address them,” spokesperson Matthew Miller added.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also said in a statement that the 27-member bloc would “assess further steps and draw lessons based on the result of the full and comprehensive investigation”.

UNRWA, whose biggest donors in 2022 included the US, Germany and the EU, has repeatedly said its capacity to render humanitarian assistance to people in Gaza is on the verge of collapse.

Established in 1949 following the first Arab-Israeli war, the agency provides services including schooling, primary healthcare and humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

UNRWA, whose biggest donors in 2022 included the US, Germany and the EU, has repeatedly said its capacity to render humanitarian assistance to people in Gaza is on the verge of collapse.

Established in 1949 following the first Arab-Israeli war, the agency provides services including schooling, primary healthcare and humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

Israel-linked boycotts hurting US brands in Middle East: Report

By
IFP Media Wire
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McDonald's

Israel declared war on Hamas after the latter’s October 7 surprise attack that killed an estimated 1,200 Israelis. An Israeli offensive that followed has resulted in the reported deaths of over 26,000 Palestinians in the enclave, and sparked a wave of anti-Israel boycott movements in majority-Muslim countries of the region.

According to Bloomberg, the shares of Americana Restaurants International, which operates KFC, Pizza Hut, Krispy Kreme, and Hardee’s franchises in the Middle East, have dropped by 27% on the Saudi stock exchange in the past three months. Analysts expect the companies’ first-quarter profits to plunge on account of the boycotts.

Coca-Cola’s Turkish distributor saw sales volumes drop by 22% in the fourth quarter of 2023 against the previous three months, after the country’s parliament joined the boycott movement in November and said it would remove the soft drink from its cafeterias.

McDonald’s franchises in the region have experienced a “meaningful business impact” from boycotts, according to the fast-food giant’s CEO Chris Kempczinski, although he did not disclose the exact scope of the losses. The company has been in hot water among Middle Eastern customers since mid-October, when its franchisee in Israel boasted on social media that it was giving free meals to Israeli soldiers. Other Western corporations, including Starbucks, IBM and Nestle, have also faced boycotts.

“So far, whether McDonald’s or Starbucks, they’re hurting. [The perception that Washington favors Israel] really affects these corporations because America is implicated,” Fawaz Gerges, professor of Middle Eastern politics at the London School of Economics, told Bloomberg, commenting on the trend.

Meanwhile, local brands have seen a boost in business due to the boycotts. According to Bloomberg, in Kuwait, homegrown coffee stores saw earnings soar over the past three months, as customers largely stopped visiting Starbucks. Jordanian coffee chain Astrolabe saw sales jump by 30%, according to founder Moath Fauri. He noted that the chain has dropped American and French products across its branches and instead buys from local sources. In Egypt, the local soda brand Spiro Spathis has seen sales skyrocket, according to commercial director Youssef Atwan.

“Suddenly we were bombarded with orders from supermarkets, restaurants, we were trying hard to cope with the demand. Clients would go to restaurants and either ask for our brand or at least refuse to drink those on the boycott list,” he stated.

US to station nuclear weapons in UK amid tensions with Russia

By
IFP Media Wire
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US Nuclear Weapons

The report comes amid continuing standoff between Russia and NATO over the conflict in Ukraine, as some Western politicians are calling to prepare for a potential armed clash with Moscow.

The British newspaper cited procurement contracts for a new facility at the Royal Air Force station at Lakenheath in Suffolk that point to Washington’s intention to bring nuclear weapons to the base. RAF Lakenheath is expected to house B61-12 bombs that are three times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, the daily added. The US sent F-35 nuclear-capable fighters to the base last year.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said last year that Moscow would be compelled to enact “compensatory countermeasures” if American nuclear warheads return to Britain. Russia has accused the West of stoking tensions in Europe and maintains that the continuing expansion of NATO eastward is one of the root causes of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

High-ranking European officials, including German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, have spoken about the need to brace for a potential full-blown war with Russia. Last week, Chair of the NATO Military Committee Admiral Rob Bauer urged the bloc to be “readier across the whole spectrum” for direct confrontation.

The head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergey Naryshkin, dismissed the claims that Moscow is planning an offensive against NATO as “information warfare” aimed at justifying the ongoing “hybrid aggression”.

Iranian FM congratulates Palestine, South Africa on ICJ ruling 

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Hossein Amirabdollahian

In a message issued on Friday, Hossein Amirabdollahian said, “I would like to congratulate the South African government and people, the people of Palestine and South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor on the country’s success in its lawsuit against the Zionist regime with the International Court of Justice.”

The top Iranian diplomat reaffirmed the Islamic Republic of Iran’s support for the South African government’s initiative at the ICJ.

He also said the officials of the Israeli regime have to be brought to justice immediately for “committing genocide and unprecedented war crimes against Palestinians.”

The Iranian foreign minister also added, “I should reiterate that the White House’s all-out support for the crimes by the Zionists will never be forgotten and will be pursued by the public opinion.”

The International Court of Justice issued its first ruling on South Africa’s case against Israel on Friday, ordering Tel Aviv to take all necessary actions to prevent genocide in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The court judges also ordered Israel to punish members of its military who commit genocidal acts.

A panel of 17 judges agreed that the court, based in The Hague, has jurisdiction to hear South Africa’s case, and passed seven “emergency measures” requested by Pretoria.

The judges also ruled that Israel “shall take immediate and effective measures to address adverse conditions to life in the Gaza Strip”.

Israel was further ordered to report back to the court in a month with an update on what it is doing to comply with these measures.

The ruling falls short of South Africa’s full list of demands, which included a measure ordering Israel to “immediately suspend its military operations in and against Gaza”.

However, it also comes as a blow to Israel, which demanded that the court throw out the entire case, describing it as “spurious  and specious”.

ICJ orders Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza

By
IFP Media Wire
-
ICJ

The court judges also ordered Israel to punish members of its military who commit genocidal acts. It

did not, however, order Israel to cease its military operation in the Palestinian territory.

A panel of 17 judges agreed that the court, based in The Hague, has jurisdiction to hear South Africa’s case, and passed seven “emergency measures” requested by Pretoria.

In addition to demanding that Israel refrain from committing genocide, the judges ordered Tel Aviv to punish members of its military who commit genocidal acts, as well as officials who publicly call for the genocide of the Palestinians. Israel must also preserve evidence of any genocidal acts already committed, the ruling stated.

The judges also ruled that Israel “shall take immediate and effective measures to address adverse conditions to life in the Gaza Strip”. Israel was further ordered to report back to the court in a month with an update on what it is doing to comply with these measures.

The ruling falls short of South Africa’s full list of demands, which included a measure ordering Israel to “immediately suspend its military operations in and against Gaza”.

However, it also comes as a blow to Israel, which demanded that the court throw out the entire case, describing it as “spurious and specious”.

While the ICJ’s rulings are final and legally binding, the court lacks any method of enforcing them. Nevertheless, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry hailed Friday’s verdict as an “important reminder” that no state is above the law.

South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said on Friday that her country’s aim was “to highlight the plight of the innocent in Palestine” and “draw attention to the lack of justice and freedom”. Regardless of how the case plays out, Pandor told Ubuntu Radio that Pretoria has already achieved these goals.

South Africa lodged its case in late December, arguing that Israel was breaching the UN Genocide Convention by “killing Palestinians in Gaza, causing them serious bodily and mental harm, and inflicting on them conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction”.

Hamas fighters attacked Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking nearly 250 to Gaza as hostages. Israel responded by declaring war on the Palestinian group and placing Gaza under a near-total siege. After three weeks of aerial bombardment, Israeli ground forces entered the blockaded enclave in late October, where they remain engaged in combat with Hamas.

The Israeli operation has killed more than 26,000 Palestinians, roughly two-thirds of whom were women and children, according to the latest figures from the Gaza Health Ministry. Around 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been destroyed and a quarter of its population are starving and unable to access drinking water, according to a UN report published earlier this month.

Pakistani ambassador returns to Tehran 

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Mr. Mudassir said he got back to Iran “in conformity with the wishes of the Pakistani leadership.”

He noted that he is now more determined to improve ties between Iran and Pakistan. Mudassir said it’s time to turn over a new leaf in bilateral ties.

Iran’s missile strikes on January 16, caused  tension between the two sides with Pakistan responding with a similar attack on a border village.

Iran said its missiles targeted the hideout of the terror group calling itself Jaish al-Adl in response to thr group’s terrorist attacks that have killed dozens of people in Iran.

Pakistan also claimed that it attacked the positions of a terrorist group operating against the interests of Islamabad.

Iran president hails South Africa for hauling Israel to ICJ 

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi

President Ebrahim Raisi, in a phone call with his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday, said that the legal suit by Pretoria is “celebrated and admired by all freedom lovers in the world.”

“The move, by a country that has experienced racism and genocide for years, is commended and praised by all the free and freedom-loving nations in the world,” the Iranian president said.

Meanwhile, Ramaphosa called Iran a “true and reliable friend” for South Africa in hard times.

He said, “We are very glad to see influential and peace-loving countries such as Iran support the Palestinian people and seek to restore their rights.”

South Africa, an outspoken critic of Israel’s ongoing onslaught against Palestinians, filed the complaint against Israel at the end of December over the Israeli regime’s aggression in Gaza.

The Israeli carnage in the besieged territory has so far left nearly 26,000 Palestinians dead and tens of thousands more injured.

Iran tourism: Masuleh looks like work of art after snow

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

The historical city, 60 km from the provincial capital Rasht and located in the Alborz mountains, is blanketed by snow.

Masuleh draws a large number of tourists throughout the year, either during the lush green seasons or when the snow gives dazzling beauty to the scenery of the stepped city.

The city was registered on the National Heritage Sites list in 1975 as the first alive historical city in the country.

Iranian politician: Reformists won’t ban elections, not to field candidates either

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Mahmoud Mirlohi, a member of the Reformists’ Supreme Council for Policymaking, said the political and social atmosphere in Iran has undergone major changes since the late 1990s and early 2000s when reformist president Mohammad Khatami steered the country through a political, social, and even economic overhaul.

Mirlohi said the policies by the reformist camp are not tailored to meet the tectonic shift in demands by “the generation Z.”

He said, “Assuming that the reformists enter the field and repeat all the things they did in 2013, and 2017 elections and Mr. Khatami also steps on board, do you think the society will accept him? Do you have such an estimate of generation Z women, academics, and others?”

The disillusioned former politician said the young generation in Iran that finds itself at odds with the ruling principlists, do not view the reformists as the solution to the myriad of problems in the country either.

The principlists are widely predicted to gain a sliding victory in the legislative polls.

The elections are slated to be held on March 1 while the Guardian Council has disqualified many candidates for the polls, many of them reformist hopefuls, including Iran’s former reformist-leaning president Hassan Rouhani.

Analysts have warned that the tightening of the noose by the vetting body will lead to an overarching apathy and a rift between the ruling establishment and the nation.

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