Israel’s settlement expansion amounts to ‘war crime’, UN rights chief says

An aerial view shows the Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 25, 2023. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg/File Photo 

Israel’s “drastic” expansion of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and the displacement of its own civilian population “amounts to a war crime under international law”, UN human rights chief Volker Turk said in a report published Friday. The UN human rights office also warned that an Israeli ground offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza should not be allowed to happen because it would cause a massive loss of human lives.

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US President Joe Biden warned Israel that it cannot use aid as a “bargaining chip” as he issued a call for an immediate, temporary ceasefire with Hamas in the bloody Gaza war during his State of the Union address. He also told Congress that he has ordered the US military to set up a port in Gaza to get more humanitarian aid into the beleaguered territory by sea. Hamas said Thursday that negotiations over a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of more Israeli hostages will resume next week, dimming hopes that mediators could broker a truce before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. At least 30,878 Palestinians have been killed and 72,402 wounded since Israel started its offensive on Gaza, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run enclave. Around 1,139 people were killed in the Hamas-led October 7 attacks and 250 people were taken hostage, according to Israeli figures, with 132 still missing.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said she expects a maritime aid corridor to start operating between Cyprus and Gaza over the weekend.

The UK will work alongside the US to open a maritime corridor to deliver aid directly to Gaza, said British Foreign Minister David Cameron. “Alongside the US, the UK and partners have announced we will open a maritime corridor to deliver aid directly to Gaza,” Cameron said on social media.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it conducted self-defense strikes on Thursday against four mobile Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM) and one Houthi unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

France24