Leila Akahloun

[Helen Clark @HelenClarkNZ]

.@TheElders visit to #WestBank: “From all we have witnessed & heard, our inescapable conclusion is that govt of PM Netanyahu & in particular Ministers Smotrich & Ben-Gvir aims to make #Palestine disappear physically, economically, culturally & politically

[Helen Clark @HelenClarkNZ]

Shocking report by @NickKristof on rape & other sexual assault & torture of #Palestinians detained by Israeli authorities. Will there ever be accountability for these crimes?
https://t.co/a8cbqQgmtb via @NYTOpinion

[The Elders @TheElders]

The horrific death toll in Gaza cannot continue to be tolerated.

Graça Machel reiterates the Elders’ call for all states to immediately suspend arms transfers to Israel.

Read online: https://t.co/BR22jYYT4D

[The Elders @TheElders]

Graça Machel repeats the Elders’ call for all states, particularly the USA, to immediately suspend arms transfers to Israel.

“We are seeing alarming signs of ethnic cleansing in northern Gaza. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been forcibly displaced, with little to no prospect of being able to go back to their homes. The tightened Israeli siege of North Gaza has cut off almost all humanitarian aid, and the UN has warned that the entire remaining population in North Gaza is at risk of dying. This is all the more alarming given the International Court of Justice has already ordered Israel to implement provisional measures to prevent acts of genocide. The world is bound to ask: what is being done?

After more than a year of war, over 43,000 Palestinians have been killed - around 70% of them women and children. Hamas is still holding up to 100 Israelis hostage, and I reiterate the Elders’ call for their immediate and unconditional release. The horrific death toll in Gaza is perpetuated by Israel’s military and political allies, many of which continue to supply arms, notably the USA. Although the Biden administration gave Israel a 30-day deadline to make significant improvements in humanitarian access, it is evident that little progress has been made. I repeat the Elders’ call for all states, particularly the USA, to immediately suspend arms transfers to Israel and end impunity for its atrocity crimes.”

Web version: https://t.co/JJXRYrHStv

[The Elders @TheElders]

Mary Robinson welcomes approval of #UNSC resolution on #Gaza ceasefire and release of all hostages and calls on all members to respect its obligations:

Click 'Show more...' to read comment in full.

“The passing of UN Security Council Resolution 2728 on the situation in Gaza and Israel is welcome but long overdue, and momentum must now be maintained. All UN member states must respect the Resolution and its binding obligations, and push for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages. The Council’s credibility has suffered through this long impasse. Now is the time to regain the initiative, ensure that humanitarian assistance can avert an impending famine, and work for a lasting, just peace.” - Mary Robinson

[Cape headlines News SA 🇿🇦 Cape Town @CapeTownPress]

7am: The Cape Town GAZA CEASEFIRE PILGRIMAGE MARCH for Lent lead by Christians, Jews & Muslims in Cape Town has began their long trek to the CBD now.

They are mapping the Gaza Strip into Cape Town by walking the length of Gaza today for HUMAN RIGHTS DAY 2024 in SOUTH AFRICA🇿🇦🇵🇸

[The Elders @TheElders]

Elders’ Chair Mary Robinson says President Biden should not continue to provide arms to Israel.

“The United States can influence Israel by not continuing to provide arms… The Government of Prime Minister Netanyahu is on the wrong side of history, completely. It’s making the United States complicit in reducing a people to famine.”

@POTUS
@SenPeterWelch
@ChrisCoons
@ChrisMurphyCT
@SenDanSullivan
@SenatorCollins
@SenatorDurbin
@SenGillibrand
@SenMarkey
@SenTimKaine
@SenatorCardin
@SenWhitehouse
@SenBobCasey
@SenSanders
@ChrisVanHollen
@SenWarren

#CeasefireNOW

[The Elders @TheElders]

The Elders call for immediate compliance by #Israel with #ICJ provisional measures.

Click 'Show more' to read the statement in full:

The Elders call for Israel to comply immediately with the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to protect Palestinians in Gaza from acts of genocide.

The Elders also call for Israel’s allies to publicly affirm their respect for the Court’s ruling, and to use the political, military and financial leverage at their disposal to ensure Israel’s compliance with the provisional measures.

The ICJ’s legally binding decision is a moment of the utmost gravity.

Israeli forces have killed over 25,000 Palestinians in Gaza, destroyed homes and infrastructure across the territory and displaced up to 1.9 million people. The Elders share the Court’s judgement that this scale of devastation risks causing irreparable harm to the people of Gaza.

Israel, as the occupying military power, must comply with the Court’s ruling and implement the provisional measures in full. This includes ensuring its military does not commit any acts of genocide against the Palestinian people as a protected group, including killing members of the group. It also includes preventing incitement to genocide, and enabling provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance. An immediate step must be to lift the siege of Gaza and end the collective punishment of Palestinians.

The Elders support the Court’s emphasis that all parties to the conflict are bound by international humanitarian law, and its call for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages held by Hamas and other armed groups.

All states have a responsibility to respect the Court’s ruling. South Africa has shown moral leadership in bringing this case, and it is now incumbent on others – particularly Israel’s allies and the UN Security Council – to live up to their own moral and legal obligations to prevent acts of genocide, and support the ICJ’s ruling.

As a minimum, Israel’s allies must ensure they are not complicit in any atrocity crimes. The Elders thus reiterate their call for all countries providing military assistance to Israel to place this under review and set new conditions for future provision. Governments which provide military assistance in the knowledge that atrocities are being committed, or may be imminent, risk being complicit. Self-defence can never be a justification for atrocity crimes.

For too long, Israel’s allies – particularly the United States and many European states – have provided political cover for its violations of international law. This impunity must end now.

Political leaders who choose to disregard or undermine the Court’s ruling risk further weakening the international rule of law at a time when it is already acutely under threat. The UN Security Council has a vital role in ensuring compliance with the ICJ ruling and upholding the consistent application of international law. The world is watching.

Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and Chair of The Elders

Ban Ki-moon, former UN Secretary-General and Deputy Chair of The Elders

Graça Machel, Founder of the Graça Machel Trust, Co-founder and Deputy Chair of The Elders

Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway and former Director-General of the WHO

Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and former head of the UN Development Programme

Elbegdorj Tsakhia, former President and Prime Minister of Mongolia

Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Hina Jilani, Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and co-chair of the Taskforce on Justice

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia and Nobel Peace Laureate

Ricardo Lagos, former President of Chile

Juan Manuel Santos, former President of Colombia and Nobel Peace Laureate

Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico

ENDS

https://t.co/5NyTQQQWIH

[The Elders @TheElders]

Mary Robinson reacts to the International Court of Justice’s ruling on South Africa vs. #Israel:

Click 'Show more' to read the comment in full:

"The International Court of Justice has delivered a landmark ruling to protect Palestinians in Gaza from acts of genocide. Israel is obliged under international law to abide by the Court’s binding judgement and implement all the provisional measures with immediate effect. Israel’s allies, in particular the United States, must also respect the Court’s ruling and refrain from any statements or actions that would undermine the Court’s authority. All parties to the conflict must comply with international humanitarian law and end the suffering of civilians now. The rule of law must be upheld, always."

https://t.co/PIwyRHC14C

[Nelson Mandela Foundation @NelsonMandela]

We call on the international community to give effect to the rulings made by the ICJ. Global solidarity at this time is critical to uphold international law #CeasefireNOW #InternationalCourtOfJustice

[Christiane Amanpour @amanpour]

“Children with… open fractures, partial amputations, open chest wounds, horrendous lacerations… and burns. And that was every day.” Dr Deborah Harrington recently spent 2 weeks in a Gaza hospital. “I feel ashamed and shocked that we’re doing this to fellow humans,” she told me.

[GracaMachelTrust @G_MachelTrust]

Our Founder and Co-Chair of the Elders, Mrs Graça Machel, stands in support of the moral courage and brave leadership required to challenge injustice and bring about an end to the atrocities taking place in Palestine.
@CIJ_ICJ @PresidencyZA @TheElders @GovernmentZA #CeasefireNOW

[The Elders @TheElders]

Mary Robinson, Chair of The Elders, comments on South Africa's case against Israel at the @CIJ_ICJ:

"South Africa has shown moral leadership in bringing its application to the ICJ under the Genocide Convention, to protect the Palestinian people in Gaza. It is right and proper that Israel is answering these charges in a court of law. All states have an international legal obligation to act to prevent genocide. Pending the ICJ’s decision on provisional measures, all possible steps must be taken to halt and prevent further atrocity crimes. I reiterate the Elders’ call for an immediate ceasefire and the full application of international law."

[The Elders @TheElders]

Mary Robinson gives qualified welcome to weak #UNSC Resolution on #Gaza, but warns implementation is what really matters to saving lives.

“Agreement on this weak and overdue UN Security Council Resolution is better than another US veto. But the test of the resolution’s success will be how many lives are saved.

The people of Gaza are facing starvation: they need food, not words. Neither Hamas nor Israel have complied with the previous resolution agreed last month. If the Security Council is to be credible, its members must push harder for implementation of its decisions.

The shocking reality on the ground in Gaza demands the rapid delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale, not haggling over a monitoring mechanism.

I regret that the Security Council has not called for an immediate ceasefire. That is out of touch with world opinion, as expressed by the General Assembly last week. And distributing aid at the scale needed will be impossible while total warfare continues.

Calling for a sustainable cessation of hostilities means little unless UNSC members are serious about creating the conditions for it. That includes more decisive US influence on Israel to ensure it complies with the provisions of this and previous Security Council Resolutions, and countries who have influence over Hamas pushing for the remaining hostages to be released.

The threat of another veto has hung over this protracted negotiation, as it has over discussions on Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. Permanent members of the Security Council who abuse their veto power for national advantage are living on borrowed time.

The rest of the world will not tolerate this anachronism for ever, particularly when it leads to the kinds of dehumanising suffering we are seeing in Gaza.

This horrific war has lasted too long; everyone’s priority must now be to save lives and build a sustainable and just peace for Palestinians and Israelis alike.”

- Mary Robinson, Chair of The Elders and former President of Ireland

[The Elders @TheElders]

Mary Robinson warns US increasingly isolated over support for #Israel's assault on #Gaza, ahead of today's @UN Security Council vote on humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Click 'Show more' to read her comment in full.

"President Biden’s support for Israel’s indiscriminate bombing of Gaza is losing him respect all over the world. The US is increasingly isolated, with allies like Australia, Canada, India, Japan and Poland switching their votes in the UN General Assembly to support an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

"The UN Security Council will vote again today on a resolution to increase and monitor the humanitarian aid urgently needed in Gaza to save lives. The US cannot afford to be further isolated by vetoing this resolution. But even if passed, such resolutions are not enough. UNSCR 2712, agreed last month, is not being fully implemented. It calls for the protection of civilians, the release of all hostages, and immediate humanitarian access. Only a ceasefire will allow for these calls to be met.

"It is negotiation that has led to Israeli hostages being released. Israeli military action has caused the deaths of Israeli hostages, as well as thousands of Palestinian civilians. The destruction of Gaza is making Israel less safe. President Biden’s continuing support for Israel’s actions is also making the world less safe, the Security Council less effective, and US leadership less respected. It is time to stop the killing."

Mary Robinson, Chair of The Elders and former President of Ireland

https://t.co/ZSsuEJ0ZzS

[The Elders @TheElders]

"As we commemorate 75 years of the #UDHR, let us spare no effort to uphold the ethics of our world order and push until there is freedom, peace, justice, equality and dignity for all." - Graça Machel on the state of #HumanRights today.

Read more: https://t.co/JbOmOLAadi

[The Elders @TheElders]

STATEMENT: Palestinian and Israeli lives must be valued equally in global response to crisis.

Read on The Elders' website: https://t.co/bkqb2dLr0x

Click 'Show more' to read the statement in full below.

Palestinian and Israeli lives must be valued equally in global response to crisis, Elders warn

The Elders condemn the horrendous terror attacks launched by Hamas on 7 October 2023, the killing of innocent civilians, the holding of hostages and the continued indiscriminate missile attacks on Israel. These are mass atrocities for which the perpetrators must be brought to justice, preferably in a court of law.

We also condemn the Israeli government’s unacceptable collective punishment of the population of Gaza through siege, the scale of the military assault and its death toll, and the forcible transfer of civilians within the territory, as well as the continuing land and home incursions and demolitions in the West Bank and settler violence against Palestinian communities. These are not legitimate acts of self-defence: they are clear violations of international humanitarian law, and some amount to atrocities for which there needs to be criminal accountability.

The Palestinian and Israeli peoples are intertwined by history, geography and legacies of sacrifice and suffering. The current crisis has sparked unimaginable pain and trauma on both sides which demands the world’s compassion and respect. Israeli and Palestinian lives are of equal worth.

History, morality and political experience compel us to send this clear message: one set of crimes must not be responded to with more crimes.

As President Biden has warned, Israel must not repeat the mistakes made by the United States after the Al Qaeda terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, the worst of which was the invasion of Iraq. Trying to defeat terrorism only through military action is more often than not a terrible mistake that leads to more terrorism, extremism and violence. A ground incursion by Israeli troops into Gaza could cause massive civilian casualties on top of the thousands of lives already lost, and risks inflaming a wider regional escalation of the conflict.

The cycles of violence and impunity must be broken, and the international community must be clear that all those accused of atrocity crimes on both sides should be held criminally accountable.

Leaders have for too long abdicated their responsibilities towards this conflict. All parties share the blame for extinguishing hope. Thirty years after the Oslo accords, there is now an absence of any political horizon towards a two-state solution that can end Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and guarantee Israel’s security.

Leaders cannot continue to view this conflict primarily through the prism of geopolitical divisions rather than the values of the UN Charter. That the UN Security Council has so far been unable to agree on a resolution, and call for a ceasefire as thousands of lives are being lost, is a failure to fulfil its fundamental duty. As Elders, we call for an immediate ceasefire, the restoration of essential water, food, medical and fuel supplies into Gaza, and the release of all hostages held by Hamas.

The normalisation of relations between Israel and some Arab states cannot succeed unless Palestinian self-determination and statehood are central. In this regard, reviving the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002, and implementing the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, offers a viable path towards regional stability and reconciliation.

Today’s dark hour must be a catalyst for change.

As Elders, we stand with those who embrace political dialogue and justice through law, and hold firm to the values of human rights and peaceful co-existence.

Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and Chair of The Elders

Ban Ki-moon, former UN Secretary-General and Deputy Chair of The Elders

Graça Machel, Founder of the Graça Machel Trust, co-founder and Deputy Chair of The Elders

Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway and former Director-General of the WHO

Helen Clark, Former Prime Minister of New Zealand and head of the UN Development Programme

Elbegdorj Tsakhia, former President and Prime Minister of Mongolia

Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Hina Jilani, Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and co-chair of the Taskforce on Justice

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia and Nobel Peace Laureate

Ricardo Lagos, former President of Chile

Juan Manuel Santos, former President of Colombia and Nobel Peace Laureate

Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico

ENDS

[Mohamed M. M. Fall @MohamedFall]

Congratulations to Graça Machel on the Time100 award & a big thanks to her impressive work in empowering women and girls-in #Africa & around the world.
“Equality is not a women’s issue. It is a societal issue,” she notes. I couldn’t agree more. https://t.co/3BnvhT9kUD

[Middle East Eye @MiddleEastEye]

WATCH: Tunisian fans raise ‘Free Palestine’ flag during the Tunisia vs. Australia 2022 World Cup match in Qatar

[Dr Monique Nsanzabaganwa @mnsanzabaganwa]

2/2: We agreed to collaborate on establishing women in the economy, to entrench accountability on the AU Women’s Decade #WYFEI2030 at national and regional (RECs) levels.