UN chief warns against ethnic cleansing, ‘demonization’ of Palestinians

 UN chief warns against ethnic cleansing, ‘demonization’ of Palestinians
Palestinians fill up containers with water in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on February 4, 2025, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. (Reuters)
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Updated 06 February 2025
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UN chief warns against ethnic cleansing, ‘demonization’ of Palestinians

 UN chief warns against ethnic cleansing, ‘demonization’ of Palestinians
  • Antonio Guterres says Palestinians’ right to ‘live as human beings in their own land’ has been further eroded
  • Demands end to settler violence in the West Bank and for perpetrators to be held accountable

NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday issued a strongly worded warning against “any form of ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians, while also underscoring the importance of adhering “to the bedrock of international law.”

His comments came after US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a proposed takeover of Gaza under which the entire population of the enclave would be relocated to other countries.

“The US will take over the Gaza Strip,” Trump said in a White House press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“We’ll own it ... We have an opportunity to do something that could be phenomenal ... the Riviera of the Middle East.”

Trump added: “ We should go to other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts, and there are many of them that want to do this, and build various domains that will ultimately be occupied by the 1.8 million Palestinians living in Gaza, ending the death and destruction and, frankly, bad luck.”

However, the UN secretary-general warned that “in the search for solutions, we must not make the problem worse.”

Guterres said that it is “vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law (and) essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing.”

Speaking in New York at the opening of the 2025 session of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, he called for a renewed commitment to ensuring Palestinians can “simply live as human beings in their own land.”

He added: “We have seen the realization of those rights steadily slip farther out of reach.

“We have seen a chilling, systematic dehumanization and demonization of an entire people.”

The UN chief described “the catalogue of destruction and unspeakable horrors” as a result of 15 months of war on Gaza, in which nearly 50,000 people have been killed, 70 percent of them women and children.

He also condemned the destruction of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and water facilities.

“The overwhelming majority of the entire population have faced displacement after displacement, hunger, and disease,” said Guterres.

“Children, out of school for over a year. A generation left homeless and traumatized.”

He said: “I welcome the ceasefire and hostage release deal. I thank the mediators — Egypt, Qatar, and the US — for the continued efforts to ensure implementation.

“Now is the time to be crystal clear about objectives going forward.”

While acknowledging the recent truce and freeing of captives held by Hamas, Guterres urged continued efforts for lasting peace.

“We must keep pushing for a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages without delay. We cannot go back to more death and destruction,” he said.

The UN is working tirelessly to provide humanitarian aid, he added, emphasizing the need for rapid, safe, and sustained access to those in need.

Guterres called for the international community to support the essential work of the UN Relief and Works Agency, which provides services to Palestinian refugees.

He reiterated the UN’s commitment to the two-state solution as the only viable path to a lasting peace.

“A viable, sovereign Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel is the only sustainable solution for Middle East stability,” he said.

The path to this solution, Guterres said, requires tangible, irreversible progress toward ending the occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state with Gaza as an integral part.

The UN chief also expressed deep concern about rising violence in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, particularly acts of aggression by Israeli settlers.

“As affirmed by the International Court of Justice, Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory must end,” said Guterres.

He called for a halt to the violence and for those responsible to be held accountable in accordance with international law.

Additionally, he emphasized the importance of preserving the unity and integrity of occupied Palestinian territory, including efforts to rebuild Gaza after its devastation.

“International law must be respected, and accountability ensured,” Guterres said.

He also stressed the importance of supporting the Palestinian Authority to foster unity and governance, which are essential for a viable future for Palestinians.

“We must work toward preserving the unity, contiguity, and integrity of the occupied Palestinian territory and the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza.

“A strong and unified Palestinian governance is crucial.

“The international community must support the Palestinian Authority to this end,” he said.


At least 58 corpses found in Libyan hospital, ministry says

At least 58 corpses found in Libyan hospital, ministry says
Updated 20 May 2025
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At least 58 corpses found in Libyan hospital, ministry says

At least 58 corpses found in Libyan hospital, ministry says
  • The corpses found on Monday are the second set of unidentified remains discovered in recent days

TRIPOLI: At least 58 unidentified corpses were found on Monday in a hospital in Tripoli that was under the control of a militia whose leader was killed last week, the interior ministry said.
The corpses were found in a morgue refrigerator in Abu Salim Accidents Hospital in the densely populated Abu Salim neighborhood, following a report from the hospital, the ministry said in a statement.
Pictures of corpses with numbers and censored faces were posted by the ministry, showing remains in various states of decomposition on steel carriers and beds. Some of the remains were burnt. An investigation was underway to establish the identities of the deceased.
“So far, 23 corpses have been examined, and all necessary legal procedures have been taken, including documenting data and collecting samples,” the ministry said.
Abu Salim was home to a militia known as the Stabilization Support Apparatus, whose chief, Abdulghani Kikli, widely known as Ghaniwa, was killed in unconfirmed circumstances last Monday.
Kikli’s killing led to the sudden defeat of the SSA by factions aligned to internationally recognized Prime Minister Abdulhamid Al-Dbeibah of the Government of National Unity (GNU).
On Tuesday, Dbeibah ordered armed groups to be dismantled, triggering the fiercest clashes Tripoli had seen in years between two armed groups. The clashes killed at least eight civilians, according to the United Nations.
The corpses found on Monday are the second set of unidentified remains discovered in recent days. On Saturday, officials said nine corpses had been found in a morgue refrigerator in Al-Khadra hospital, another SSA-controlled hospital in the Abu Salim neighborhood.
The militia had not reported the corpses to the relevant authorities, the interior ministry said.
Dbeibah said on Saturday that eliminating militias was an “ongoing project,” as a ceasefire after last week’s clashes remained in place.
The GNU posted a video on Monday showing bulldozers demolishing the so-called 77 camp, one of the biggest facilities that was under control of SSA. The camp is to be turned into a national park.
Libya has had little stability since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising ousted longtime autocrat Muammar Qaddafi. The country split in 2014 between rival eastern and western factions, though an outbreak of major warfare paused with a truce in 2020.


Netanyahu says UK-French-Canada condemnation gives ‘huge prize’ to Hamas

Netanyahu says UK-French-Canada condemnation gives ‘huge prize’ to Hamas
Updated 20 May 2025
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Netanyahu says UK-French-Canada condemnation gives ‘huge prize’ to Hamas

Netanyahu says UK-French-Canada condemnation gives ‘huge prize’ to Hamas

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday hit back at condemnation of his country’s military offensive in Gaza by the leaders of France, Canada and Britain saying they had given a “huge prize” to Hamas.
“By asking Israel to end a defensive war for our survival before Hamas terrorists on our border are destroyed and by demanding a Palestinian state, the leaders in London, Ottawa and Paris are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7 while inviting more such atrocities,” Netanyahu said in a statement, referring to the October 2023 attack that set off the Gaza war.


Palestinian hospital chief calls for pressure on Israel

Palestinian hospital chief calls for pressure on Israel
Updated 20 May 2025
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Palestinian hospital chief calls for pressure on Israel

Palestinian hospital chief calls for pressure on Israel

HELSINKI: An East Jerusalem hospital chief told AFP on Monday that Gaza was in a “catastrophic” state after weeks of a complete blockade of humanitarian aid and called on countries to act to end the suffering of civilians.
Fadi Atrash, chief executive of the Augusta Victoria-Hospital in East Jerusalem — which helps Palestinians from the occupied territories and Gaza — said he could no longer “find the words” to describe the crisis faced by people in war-torn Gaza.
“We are facing a very, very critical and catastrophic situation,” he said, with all components of the health care system destroyed, and health care workers “running out of energy.”
Augusta Victoria, which had a hospital in Gaza that has been destroyed in Israeli bombings now provides health care in Gaza with the limited resources available, Atrash said.
Atrash visited Finland — which has not recognized Palestine as a state — on Monday as part of a tour of the Nordic countries.
“My main message for the Nordic countries is to put pressure to stop the war, to stop the killing.”
Humanitarian food, medical and fuel supplies have been blocked from entering Gaza for 11 weeks, and the World Health Organization has warned that two million people face starvation.
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb joined other European leaders on Monday to call on Israel to guarantee the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Stubb also said “forced displacement of populations is a war crime and cannot form part of any solution,” in a post on X.
Israel this month approved an expanded military offensive in Gaza but has agreed to let limited aid into Gaza.


Gaza civil defense says 91 killed in Israeli strikes Monday

Gaza civil defense says 91 killed in Israeli strikes Monday
Updated 20 May 2025
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Gaza civil defense says 91 killed in Israeli strikes Monday

Gaza civil defense says 91 killed in Israeli strikes Monday

GAZA CITY: A Gaza civil defense official said that 91 people were killed in strikes and attacks throughout Monday as Israel steps up an offensive in the Palestinian territory.
The deaths had been recorded since the early hours of Monday, according to Mohammed Al-Mughayyir, an official in the civil defense agency of the Hamas-run territory. The department had earlier given a toll of 52 dead.


Yemen’s Houthis threaten Israeli port

Yemen’s Houthis threaten Israeli port
Updated 20 May 2025
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Yemen’s Houthis threaten Israeli port

Yemen’s Houthis threaten Israeli port

SANAA: Yemen’s Houthis said Monday that they would target Haifa port in Israel as part of a “naval blockade” in response to Israeli escalation in the Gaza war.
The Houthis would “begin working to enforce a naval blockade of the port of Haifa,” said military spokesman Yehya Saree.
“All companies with ships present in or heading to this port are hereby notified that, as of the time of this announcement, the aforementioned port has been included in the target bank,” the Houthi spokesman added.
The move was “in response to the Israeli enemy’s escalation of its brutal aggression against our people and in Gaza,” he said, adding their attacks on Israel would “cease once the aggression on Gaza ends and the blockade is lifted.”
Earlier on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country will “take control” of the whole of Gaza, as rescuers reported dozens killed in a newly intensified offensive.