Human Rights Watch Says World Must Ensure Israel Abides by Any UN Court Ruling

Ronald Lamola (C), Minister of Justice of South Africa, speaks to the press before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after the first day of the hearing of the genocide case against Israel, brought by South Africa, in The Hauge, The Netherlands, 11 January 2024. EPA/REMKO DE WAAL
Ronald Lamola (C), Minister of Justice of South Africa, speaks to the press before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after the first day of the hearing of the genocide case against Israel, brought by South Africa, in The Hauge, The Netherlands, 11 January 2024. EPA/REMKO DE WAAL
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Human Rights Watch Says World Must Ensure Israel Abides by Any UN Court Ruling

Ronald Lamola (C), Minister of Justice of South Africa, speaks to the press before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after the first day of the hearing of the genocide case against Israel, brought by South Africa, in The Hauge, The Netherlands, 11 January 2024. EPA/REMKO DE WAAL
Ronald Lamola (C), Minister of Justice of South Africa, speaks to the press before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after the first day of the hearing of the genocide case against Israel, brought by South Africa, in The Hauge, The Netherlands, 11 January 2024. EPA/REMKO DE WAAL

The head of Human Rights Watch praised South Africa for bringing Israel's military campaign against Gaza to the top UN court and said the international community would be responsible for ensuring that Israel complies with any judicial decision.
South Africa demanded an emergency suspension of Israel's aerial and ground offensive in the Palestinian enclave, telling the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague that Israel was committing genocidal acts.
"South Africa is providing important leadership here. It's really using this important opportunity," Tirana Hassan, executive director of Human Rights Watch, told Reuters.
"If Israel does not comply with the measures or orders of the court, then it is up to the international community to ensure that they are leveraging whatever pressure that they can to encourage Israel to actually implement the measures."
Human Rights Watch, which released its World Report on Thursday outlining abuses around the globe, accused Israel last night of using the starvation of civilians as a means of warfare in the Gaza Strip, which constitutes a war crime. Israel has vigorously denied the charge.
"In the throes of this war, what we have seen is consistent, flagrant violations of international humanitarian law," Hassan said. "We were able to document elements of this one crime -- the crime of starvation."
Hassan said that since Human Rights Watch had documented starvation in Gaza, there had been no shift in policy to suggest that Israeli authorities had abandoned the method.
Facing mounting international pressure, Israel has lifted its full blockade to allow more food and medicine into the territory, though aid agencies say it is not enough.



South Korea's Opposition Party Vows to Impeach Acting President

FILED - 04 November 2022, South Korea, Seoul: South Korean Prime Minister Duck-Soo Han meets with representatives of the South Korean and German business communities at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Photo: Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa
FILED - 04 November 2022, South Korea, Seoul: South Korean Prime Minister Duck-Soo Han meets with representatives of the South Korean and German business communities at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Photo: Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa
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South Korea's Opposition Party Vows to Impeach Acting President

FILED - 04 November 2022, South Korea, Seoul: South Korean Prime Minister Duck-Soo Han meets with representatives of the South Korean and German business communities at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Photo: Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa
FILED - 04 November 2022, South Korea, Seoul: South Korean Prime Minister Duck-Soo Han meets with representatives of the South Korean and German business communities at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Photo: Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa

South Korea’s main liberal opposition party said Tuesday it will seek to impeach acting leader Han Duck-soo, as Seoul grapples with the turmoil set off when impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol made a short-lived declaration of martial law.
The country’s political parties are now tussling over how to run investigations into that decision, as well as separate allegations against Yoon's wife, The Associated Press reported.
The opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, wants independent investigators, and gave Han until Tuesday to approve bills appointing them.
Impeaching Han would further deepen political chaos and worries by neighboring countries. Han, the country’s No. 2 official, has taken over the president's powers since Yoon’s impeachment. If he’s impeached too, the finance minister is next in line.
The Democratic Party has slammed Han for vetoing several opposition-sponsored bills, including a controversial agriculture bill. It also urged Han to quickly appoint justices to vacant seats on the Constitutional Court, which is reviewing Yoon’s impeachment and will determine whether to dismiss or reinstate him.
Filling the Constitutional Court’s three empty posts could make conviction more likely, as it requires the support of six of the court’s possible full nine members.
The Democratic Party demanded that Han approve bills calling for special prosecutors to investigate Yoon for rebellion over his marital law decree, and his wife for corruption and other allegations, by Tuesday.
Han didn’t put the bills on the agendas for Tuesday’s Cabinet Council meeting, calling for the ruling and opposition parties to negotiate more.
Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae responded that there's no room for negotiations about a Yoon investigation, and that his party would begin steps toward an impeachment at once.
“We’ve clearly warned that it’s totally up to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo whether he would go down in history as a disgraceful figure as a puppet of rebellion plot leader Yoon Suk Yeol or a public servant that has faithfully carried out the orders by the public,” Park told a televised party meeting.
South Korean prosecutors and other officials are separately probing whether Yoon committed rebellion and abuse of power, but he’s ignored requests by investigative agencies to appear for questioning and allow searches of his office.
Yoon’s defense minister, police chief and several other senior military commanders have already been arrested over the deployment of troops and police officers to the National Assembly, which prompted a dramatic standoff that ended when lawmakers managed to enter the chamber and voted unanimously to overrule Yoon's decree.
The governing People Power Party said that the opposition's impeachment threats are interfering with Han’s “legitimate exercise of authority." Floor leader Kweon Seong-dong, a Yoon loyalist, said the Democratic Party’s “politics of intimidation have reached their peak.”
An impeachment vote would face legal ambiguities. Most South Korean officials can be impeached with a simple majority of parliament, but impeaching the presidents takes two-thirds. The rival parties differ on which standard would apply to an acting president.
The Democratic Party controls 170 of the National Assembly's 300 seats, so it would need support from members of other parties including Yoon's own to get a two-thirds majority.
The Constitutional Court has up to six months to determine Yoon's fate. If he's thrown of office, a national election to find his successor must take place within two months.