#Dujarric

[euginemicah]

Haiti gang massacres around 180 people, targeting elderly

Haiti gang massacres around 180 people, targeting elderly Around 180 people were killed over the weekend in Haiti’s Cite Soleil area, Haiti’s prime minister’s office said on Monday, after attacks that an NGO said were ordered by a gang leader who suspected his child had been made ill using witchcraft. “A red line has been crossed,” the office said in a statement, adding it would “mobilize all…

[vyorei]

[brexiiton]

Ecuador 'in state of war' against drug cartels' terror campaign

Schools and stores are shuttered, people are staying home as soldiers roam the streets of Ecuador's biggest cities.

Members of Ecuador's armed forces patrol a street during a security operation in the capital, Quito. [AFP]

With city streets largely deserted apart from a massive military deployment, Ecuador found itself in a "state of war" as drug cartels waged a brutal campaign of kidnappings and attacks in response to a government crackdown.

Hundreds of soldiers patrolled the capital, Quito, where residents were gripped by fear over a surge in violence that has also prompted alarm abroad.

The small South American country has been plunged into crisis after years of increasing control by transnational cartels that use its ports to ship cocaine to the United States and Europe.

The latest outburst of violence was sparked by the discovery on sunday of the prison escape of one of the country's most powerful narco bosses, Jose Adolfo Macias, known by the alias "Fito".

On Monday, President Daniel Noboa imposed a state of emergency and nighttime curfew, but the gangs hit back with declaration of "war" - threatening to execute civilians and security forces.

They also instigated numerous prison riots, set off explosions in public places and waged attacks in which at least 14 people have been killed.

More than 100 prison guards and administrative staff have been taken hostage, the prisons authority said.

In the port city of Guayaquil, attackers wearing balaclavas stormed a state-owned TV station on Tuesday, briefly taking several journalists and staff members hostage and firing shots in dramatic scenes broadcast live before police arrived.

Local media reported some of the attackers were as young as 16.

This attack, in particular, spread panic among the general population, many of whom left work and closed shops to return to the safety of their homes.

"Today we are not safe, anything can happen," said Luis Chiligano, a 53-year-old security guard in Quito who explained he was opting to hide rather than confront "the criminals, who are better armed".

Noboa said on Wednesday that the country was now in a "state of war," as he promised not to yield to the gangs.

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa gave orders on Tuesday to 'neutralise' the criminal gangs after gunmen stormed and opened fire in a TV studio, as bandits threatened random executions. [AFP]

Gangs declared war on the government after Noboa announced a state of emergency following the prison escape pm January 7 of one of Ecuador's most powerful narco bosses. [AFP]

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was 'very much alarmed by the deteriorating situation in the country as well as its disruptive impact on the lives of Ecuadorans,' according to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. [AFP]

Peru declared a state of emergency on its border with Ecuador, sending an additional 500 police and soldiers to secure the frontier. [AFP]

China's embassy and consulates in Ecuador suspended services to the public, while France and Russia advised citizens against travel to the country. [AFP]

Brian Nichols, the top US diplomat for Latin America, said Washington was 'extremely concerned,' pledging to provide assistance and 'remain in close contact' with Noboa's team [AFP]

Colombia's army also announced it was bolstering border security. [AFP]

Ecuador's murder rate quadrupled from 2018 to 2022 and last year was the worst yet, with 7,800 murders in a population of about 17 million, and a record 220 tonnes of drugs seized. [AFP]

[sayruq]

The United Nations said Tuesday it suspended food distribution in the southern Gaza city of Rafah due to lack of supplies and insecurity. It also said no aid trucks entered in the past two days via a floating pier set up by the U.S. for sea deliveries. The U.N. has not specified how many people have stayed in Rafah since the Israeli military began its intensified assault there two weeks ago, but apparently several hundred thousand people remain. The World Food Program said it was also running out of food for central Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fleeing Rafah have sought shelter in a chaotic exodus, setting up new tent camps or crowding into areas already devastated by previous Israeli offensives. Abeer Etefa, a spokesperson for the U.N’s World Food Program, warned that “humanitarian operations in Gaza are near collapse.” If food and other supplies don’t resume entering Gaza “in massive quantities, famine-like conditions will spread,” she said.

The prosecutor at the International Criminal Court cited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged “use of starvation as a method of warfare,” a charge they and other Israeli officials angrily deny. The prosecutor accused three Hamas leaders of war crimes over killings of civilians in the group’s Oct. 7 attack. The U.N says some 1.1 million people in Gaza – nearly half the population — face catastrophic levels of hunger and that the territory is on the brink of famine. The crisis in humanitarian supplies has spiraled in the two weeks since Israel launched an incursion into Rafah on May 6, vowing to root out Hamas fighters. Troops seized the Rafah crossing into Egypt, which has been closed since. Since May 10, only about three dozen trucks made it into Gaza via the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel because fighting makes it difficult for aid workers to reach it, the U.N. says. For months, the U.N. has warned that an Israeli assault on Rafah could wreck the effort to get food, medicine and other supplies to Palestinians across Gaza. Throughout the war, Rafah has been filled with scenes of hungry children holding out pots and plastic containers at makeshift soup kitchens, with many families reduced to eating only one meal a day. The city’s population had swelled to some 1.3 million people, most of whom fled fighting elsewhere. Around 810,000 people have streamed out of Rafah, although Israel says it has not launched the full-fledged invasion of the city it had planned. The United States has said Israel did not present a “credible” plan for evacuating the population or keeping it safe. The main agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, announced the suspension of distribution in Rafah in a post on X, without elaborating beyond citing the lack of supplies. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the UNRWA distribution center and the WFP’s warehouses in Rafah were “inaccessible due to ongoing military operations.”

An absolute nightmare

[icyfox62]

“Over the weekend, the Russian Federation launched one of its largest combined strikes, reportedly involving 120 missiles and 90 drones and targeting energy infrastructure in all Ukrainian regions, resulting in severe damage and casualties. Last night, there were also media reports that Ukrainian forces would be given authorization to use long-range weapons supplied by partners for strikes within [the Russian Federation].

I want to be clear: all parties must ensure the safety and protection of civilians, regardless of their location.”

[odinsblog]

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel has approved the largest seizure of land in the occupied West Bank in over three decades, a settlement tracking group said Wednesday, a move that is likely to worsen already soaring tensions linked to the war in Gaza.

Israel’s aggressive expansion in the West Bank reflects the settler community’s strong influence in the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the most religious and nationalist in the country’s history. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a settler himself, has turbocharged the policy of expansion, seizing new authorities over settlement development and saying he aims to solidify Israel’s hold on the territory and prevent the creation of a Palestinian state.

Authorities recently approved the appropriation of 12.7 square kilometers (nearly 5 square miles) of land in the Jordan Valley, according to a copy of the order obtained by The Associated Press. Data from Peace Now, the tracking group, indicate it was the largest single appropriation approved since the 1993 Oslo accords at the start of the peace process.

Settlement monitors said the land grab connects Israeli settlements along a key corridor bordering Jordan, a move they said undermines the prospect of a contiguous Palestinian state.

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric called it “a step in the wrong direction,” adding that “the direction we want to be heading is to find a negotiated two-state solution.”

The newly seized land is in an area of the West Bank where, even before the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, settler violence was displacing communities of Palestinians. That violence has only surged since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack ignited the war in Gaza. Settlers have carried out more than 1,000 attacks on Palestinians since October in the West Bank, causing deaths and damaging property, according to the U.N.

The land seizure, which was approved late last month but only publicized on Wednesday, comes after the seizure of 8 square kilometers (roughly 3 square miles) of land in the West Bank in March and 2.6 square kilometers (1 square mile) in February.

That makes 2024 by far the peak year for Israeli land seizure in the West Bank, Peace Now said.

By declaring them state lands, the government opens them up to being leased to Israelis and prohibits private Palestinian ownership.

(continue reading)

[probablyasocialecologist]

The World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Wednesday a pause in the movement of its employees in Gaza until further notice following an attack on a team returning from an aid delivery mission on Tuesday evening, just metres from an Israeli-controlled checkpoint. “This is totally unacceptable and the latest in a series of unnecessary security incidents that have endangered the lives of WFP’s team in Gaza,” said the UN agency’s Executive Director Cindy McCain, calling on the Israeli authorities and all parties to the conflict to act immediately to ensure the safety and security of all aid workers in Gaza. Thankfully, no one was injured in the attack, WFP said. “As last night’s events show, the current deconfliction system is failing and this cannot go on any longer,” Ms. McCain added. A “clearly marked UN humanitarian vehicle – part of a convoy that had been fully coordinated with the [Israeli Defense Forces] IDF – was struck 10 times by IDF gunfire, including with bullets targeting front windows,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at a briefing at UN Headquarters on Wednesday.

28 August 2024

[workersolidarity]

🇮🇱🇵🇸 BREAKING: ISRAELI MILITARY TELLS 1.1 MILLION GAZANS TO LEAVE IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS

The Israeli Military has told all 1.1 million Palestinians living North of Wadi Gaza they must relocate to Southern Gaza or face destruction and death.

The affected area includes densely populated and heavily damaged Gaza City.

Just before midnight, an Alert was sent by the Israeli Military and the United Nations was notified of the forced relocation of nearly half the Gaza strip.

"The United Nations considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences," the UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

Egypt has already warned the UN that if a humanitarian corridor is opened, even the US refuses to guarantee Palestinians the right to return to Gaza.

This is now becoming the ethnic cleansing of Gaza

#source

#source2

@WorkerSolidarityNews

[adropofhumanity]

A UN spokesman on Thursday dismissed a letter that was allegedly sent by Israel to the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) to vacate its headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem.

"Well, we've seen the media reports. I spoke to my colleagues at UNRWA, who have not received anything, any official written communication and I can tell you that they see this as the ongoing pattern of harassment of UNRWA, its workers and its facilities," Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

He said nothing had been received "as of a half an hour ago."

His remarks came after the Israel Land Authority (ILA) ordered UNRWA to evacuate its headquarters within 30 days.

According to the Times of Israel, the ILA said the agency owes them "$7,326,711.19 for operating on land belonging to Israel without consent for the last seven years."

The move came following a demand in February by Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf to evict UNRWA.

The measure is seen as politically motivated, as Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have long sought to dismantle UNRWA from operating in occupied Palestinian territories.

[palms-upturned]

Authorities recently approved the appropriation of 12.7 square kilometers (nearly 5 square miles) of land in the Jordan Valley, according to a copy of the order obtained by The Associated Press. Data from Peace Now, the tracking group, indicate it was the largest single appropriation approved since the 1993 Oslo accords at the start of the peace process.

Settlement monitors said the land grab connects Israeli settlements along a key corridor bordering Jordan, a move they said undermines the prospect of a contiguous Palestinian state.

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric called it “a step in the wrong direction,” adding that “the direction we want to be heading is to find a negotiated two-state solution.”

The newly seized land is in an area of the West Bank where, even before the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, settler violence was displacing communities of Palestinians. That violence has only surged since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack ignited the war in Gaza. Settlers have carried out more than 1,000 attacks on Palestinians since October in the West Bank, causing deaths and damaging property, according to the U.N.

The land seizure, which was approved late last month but only publicized on Wednesday, comes after the seizure of 8 square kilometers (roughly 3 square miles) of land in the West Bank in March and 2.6 square kilometers (1 square mile) in February.

That makes 2024 by far the peak year for Israeli land seizure in the West Bank, Peace Now said.

By declaring them state lands, the government opens them up to being leased to Israelis and prohibits private Palestinian ownership. This year’s land seizures are contiguous, linking two already existing settlements to create a solid block near the border with Jordan. The lands were declared to be closed Israeli military zones before they were declared state land.

The Palestinians view the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank as the main barrier to any lasting peace agreement, preventing any possibility of a cohesive state. Most of the international community considers settlements illegal or illegitimate.

Israel captured the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, territories the Palestinians want for a future state. Israel’s current government considers the West Bank to be the historical and religious heartland of the Jewish people and opposes Palestinian statehood.

Israel has built well over 100 settlements across the West Bank, some of which resemble fully developed suburbs or small towns. They are home to over 500,000 Jewish settlers who have Israeli citizenship.

The 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank live under seemingly open-ended Israeli military rule. The Palestinian Authority administers enclaves scattered across the territory, but is barred from operating in 60% of the West Bank, which includes the settlements as well as areas with a population of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

Yoni Mizrachi, the head of settlement tracking at Peace Now, described the land grab announced Wednesday as part of a strategy to establish a buffer zone between Jordan and Palestinian lands and choke off the practical possibility of a Palestinian state. The aim, he believes, is to push Palestinians into isolated islands surrounded by Israeli land.

“They definitely see this area as a strategic area, as the first and one of the easiest ways to begin annexation,” he said.

(emphasis mine)

[ashwantsafreepalestine]

29 August 2024.

UN World Food Programme Suspended in Gaza.

UN Spokesperson Steph Dujarric says a humanitarian vehicle which was part of a convoy in Gaza and fully coordinated with Israel, was struck by IDF gunfire 10 times yesterday evening and the two UN staff members onboard were only saved by the bulletproof glass.

A temporary suspension of activities across Gaza was announced after the vehicle was hit as it approached an Israeli military checkpoint.

Israel should be immediately revoked as a United Nations member and hit with the strongest possible sanctions.

This is Nazi Israel.

[allthegeopolitics]

The UN has said that Israel has denied requests to supply fuel to hospitals in northern Gaza five times over the past week. Speaking in a press conference yesterday, the UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric revealed that several hospitals in northern Gaza have been without fresh fuel supplies for over 10 days.

“Efforts to deliver fuel to hospitals in the region have been thwarted repeatedly, with access denied five times in the past week [by Israel],” said Dujarric. “The dependency on fuel to run back-up generators is complete as the Israeli authorities cut electricity provision from the Gaza Strip back in October.”

When asked for the reason provided by Israel for not allowing fuel trucks to reach the hospitals, Dujarric responded, “As far as I know, reasons are often not given.”

He also addressed the challenges facing aid delivery with trucks from Israel entering northern Gaza. “The access of humanitarian partners to northern Gaza is particularly challenging as it requires coordination with the Israeli authorities and passage through an internal checkpoint.” [...]

Continue Reading.

[vyorei]

Stephane, I couldn't agree more. These people are fucking heroes keeping everyone informed when it matters so much, putting personal risk aside to work for others

They should never have been targeted and I can't understand how one can see these stories of murders and attacks and not go "hey the good guys WOULDN'T HAVE TO KILL JOURNALISTS AND THEIR FAMILIES"

[aitan]

ANSA, 02 marzo 2024, 13:17

Il direttore ad interim dell'ospedale al-Awda di Jabalia, Mohammed Salha, afferma che circa l'80% dei feriti nella strage durante la fila per gli aiuti umanitari a Gaza portati nella sua struttura sanitaria presentavano lesioni d'arma da fuoco.

[...] Dei 176 feriti portati all'ospedale al-Awda 142 avevano lesioni d'arma da fuoco [...].

Precedentemente anche il portavoce del segretario generale delle Nazioni unite Stephane Dujarric aveva detto che durante una visita all'ospedale al-Shifa un team dell'Onu "ha potuto confermare che molte delle persone in cura lì", vittime dell'attacco di giovedì vicino Gaza, "avevano ferite da arma da fuoco".

Hamas afferma che almeno 112 palestinesi sono morti e altri 760 rimasti feriti quando l'esercito israeliano ha aperto il fuoco contro una folla di persone accalcata intorno a un convoglio di aiuti umanitari.

__________

Eppure Israele continua a sostenere che decine di persone "sono state uccise e ferite" nella calca o "travolte dai camion".

Gente che aveva fame perché era stata affamata dall'esercito israeliano, in ogni caso.

Esseri umani che cercavano cibo per sé o per i propri figli.

Ma di cosa vogliamo parlare?

112 persone sono già più degli ostaggi attualmente in mano ad Hamas.

Ma di cosa vogliamo parlare?

Ormai si contano già 30mila morti. 30mila famiglie che piangono i loro morti e cercano vendetta.

[silicacid]

UN says Israel will not renew visa for top aid official

Israel has told the United Nations it will not renew a visa for the top U.N. humanitarian aid official for the Palestinian Gaza Strip and West Bank, a U.N. spokesperson said on Friday.

Canadian-born Lynn Hastings, a veteran U.N. official, has served as the deputy special coordinator for the Middle East peace process and U.N. humanitarian coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory for nearly three years.

"We've been informed by the Israeli authorities that they would not renew the visa of Ms Hastings past the due date at some point later this month," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

He said U.N. staff do not overstay their visas in any country, but stressed that U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has full confidence in Hastings. Dujarric did not say whether Hastings would be replaced.

A spokesperson for Israel's Foreign Ministry accused the United Nations of being biased and described as "disgraceful" the U.N. response to an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants that Israel says killed 1,200 people.

"That's why Israel decided to check on - one by one - the visas that are issued to representatives of the U.N.," the spokesperson said.

At the end of October, Israel's Foreign Ministry accused Hastings - in a social media post - of failing to be impartial and objective, which the United Nations rejected.

"You've seen some very public attacks on Twitter against her which were utterly unacceptable," Dujarric said. "Personal direct attacks on U.N. personnel anywhere around the world is unacceptable and puts people's lives at risks."

Guterres on Wednesday warned the U.N. Security Council that the Gaza Strip, ruled by Hamas, was in the midst of an "epic humanitarian catastrophe."

Since the Oct. 7 attack, Israel has focused its retaliation against Hamas in Gaza, bombarding it from the air, imposing a siege and launching a ground assault.

More than 15,000 people are confirmed killed, some 40% of them under the age of 18, according to Palestinian health authorities deemed reliable by the United Nations. Many others are feared buried under the ruins.

This is what she posted: