Israel/Palästina

Lawyers for South Africa call for Israel to be forced to 'immediately suspend' attacks in Gaza as it accuses country of breaching the UN Genocide Convention.

The UN Security Council on Wednesday passed a resolution condemning “in the strongest terms” the multiple attacks by Houthi rebels off the coast of Yemen which have disrupted global trade and raised fears of further spillover from the war in Gaza.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on his latest mission to contain the Gaza war, said displaced Palestinians must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow, and Israel has agreed to allow a United Nations mission to evaluate the situation in war-ravaged northern Gaza.

The immediate priority in Gaza must be saving civilian lives said the President of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, as Member States gathered to debate the use of the veto by the United States in the Security Council last month. 

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has said he is “very disturbed” by high-level Israeli officials’ statements on plans to transfer civilians from Gaza to third countries.

Josep Borrell warns that the killing of a Hamas leader in Lebanon could lead to an escalation of the Israel-Hamas war.

The UN Security Council on Wednesday held its first open meeting on the continuing attacks by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, which are becoming an increasing threat to global trade and the stability of the entire region as the intense fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza continues.

The United Nation's top court will hear submissions next week from South Africa and Israel after Pretoria opened a case for what it called Israel's genocidal acts in Gaza.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon says it is deeply concerned at any potential for escalation that could have devastating consequences for people on both sides of the Blue Line.

After intense negotiations all week behind closed doors at the 15-member Security Council, ambassadors continued consultations into Thursday evening over the latest version of a draft resolution penned by the United Arab Emirates which reportedly calls for urgent steps to allow safe and unhindered delivery of aid to stricken civilians in the Gaza Strip. The United States said it would support the latest draft if the text remained the same, with a vote now anticipated on Friday.