Category Archives: War Crimes

Blue Mountains rally calls for permanent ceasefire in Gaza – 10th Dec 2023

Israel & Occupied Territories, War Crimes, , , , , ,
Photo: Blue Mountains Friends of Palestine rally in Katoomba 10th Dec 2023

Numerous rallies around the country on Human Rights Day condemned Israel’s ongoing war on the Gaza Strip and renewed the call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

One of these rallies on 10th December 2023 was organised by the Blue Mountains Friends of Palestine (BMFoP) that took place in Katoomba. The event attracted around 80 people who initially assembled at the town’s old library site and later marched a short distance to Carrington Park. Continue reading Blue Mountains rally calls for permanent ceasefire in Gaza – 10th Dec 2023 →

Sydney rally calls for an immediate cessation to Israel’s war on Gaza – 26th Nov 2023

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Photo: Assala Sayara, Hyde Park, Sydney, 26th Nov 2023. Click to enlarge.

Many thousands gathered in Hyde Park, Sydney on Sunday 26th November to express their solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza that have suffered from Israel’s blockade, airstrikes and ground assaults since the attacks by Hamas on 7th October 2023.

At the time of the negotiated “pause” in Israel’s war on Gaza, the reported Palestinian death toll had exceeded 14,000, with 10,000 of these deaths comprising women and children. Continue reading Sydney rally calls for an immediate cessation to Israel’s war on Gaza – 26th Nov 2023 →

Francesca Albanese’s address to the National Press Club – International community, including Australia, is failing in its response to the Israel-Gaza war

Israel and Palestine, War Crimes, ,
Photo: Francesca Albanese, ABC

In her address to the National Press Club on 14th November 2023, Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, described the international community as failing in its response to the Israel-Gaza war.

Francesca Albanese also criticised governments, including the Australian government, for having “amnesia”, “myopia” and “living in an alternative reality” when asked about its response to the war, as the death toll from the conflict exceeded 12,000 people.

She said the UN is experiencing its “most epic political and humanitarian failure since its creation”. Continue reading Francesca Albanese’s address to the National Press Club – International community, including Australia, is failing in its response to the Israel-Gaza war →

Gaza is ‘running out of time’ UN experts warn, demanding a ceasefire to prevent genocide

Israel & Occupied Territories, War Crimes, ,

In a statement issued on 2nd November 2023, seven UN Special Rapporteurs warned that time is running out to prevent genocide in Gaza and expressed deep frustration with Israel’s refusal to halt plans to decimate the besieged Gaza strip.

“We remain convinced that the Palestinian people are at grave risk of genocide,” the experts said. “The time for action is now. Israel’s allies also bear responsibility and must act now to prevent its disastrous course of action,” they said.

The experts expressed “deepening horror” about Israeli airstrikes against the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza since the night of Tuesday 31st October, which have reportedly killed and injured hundreds of Palestinians, calling it a brazen breach of international law.

The full statement by the Special Rapporteurs can be read here.

Sydney rally calls for an end to the massacre in Gaza – 15th Oct 2023

Israel & Occupied Territories, War Crimes, ,
Photo: Palestine Action Group Sydney

Over 6,000 people attended a pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney’s Hyde Park on Sunday 15th October 2023, despite opposition from NSW Premier Chris Minns and senior police to the rally going ahead.

The rally called for an end to the intensive bombing and total blockade of Gaza by Israel following attacks by Hamas militants on 7th October 2023. Both the ongoing bombing and blockade of Gaza’s civilian population were condemned by speakers as acts of collective punishment prohibited under the Geneva Conventions.

At the time of the rally, Israeli airstrikes had flattened parts of Gaza and left at least 2,200 dead and more than 8,700 injured. Continue reading Sydney rally calls for an end to the massacre in Gaza – 15th Oct 2023 →

Inquiry into War Crimes in Afghanistan

Independent and Peaceful Australia Network, War Crimes

The Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN) has welcomed the announcement that a special investigator will be appointed to probe allegations of war crimes by Australian special forces in Afghanistan and prosecute any criminal misconduct. This follows a four-year inquiry into possible breaches of law between 2005 and 2016.

In its media release, IPAN’s spokesperson, Dr Alison Broinowski, called on this process to be public and transparent and not determined behind closed doors.  The media release also called on the following measures to be adopted:

Continue reading Inquiry into War Crimes in Afghanistan →

Sexual slavery victims to be remembered

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Statue honouring ‘comfort women’, Uniting Church in Ashfield

The 7th International Memorial Day for Japanese Military Sexual Slavery Victims will be commemorated on Wednesday August 14th. The event will also coincide with the 1400th time that regular Wednesday rallies have been held in Seoul that have called for a resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery issue.

It is estimated that 200,000 girls and young women were forced into sexual slavery in colonial times and during WW2 by the Imperial Japanese Army. Countries where this systematic sexual abuse took place included Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaya, Manchukuo, Taiwan (then a Japanese dependency), the Dutch East Indies, Portuguese Timor, New Guinea and other Japanese-occupied territories. Continue reading Sexual slavery victims to be remembered →