VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: ICC Prosecutor's statement after visiting Rafah Border between Egypt & Gaza

“International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC addresses journalists after visiting the Rafah Border Crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip on 29 October 2023. From Cairo, the Prosecutor gives a statement on the current situation in Israel and the State of Palestine”. 

Video courtesy of Al Arabiya - english.alarabiya.net.  

Transcript

Follow along using the transcript facility at the video.

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VIDEO: ICC Prosecutor speaks in Cairo on the situation in Israel and Palestine after his visit to Rafah

#ICC Prosecutor @KarimKhanQC addresses journalists after visiting the Rafah Border Crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip on 29 October 2023.

From Cairo, the Prosecutor gives a statement on the current situation in Israel and the State of Palestine👇https://t.co/666En6yBIT

— Int'l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) October 29, 2023

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ICC prosecutor at Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza says he hopes to visit Gaza, Israel

Report at Al Arabiya - english.alarabiya.net

With AFP (Agence France-Presse)
Published Sunday, 29 October 2023: 08:57 PM GST
Updated Monday, 30 October 2023: 01:52 AM GST - here is a copy in full:

ICC prosecutor at Rafah border crossing says hopes to visit Gaza, Israel

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan speaks during an interview with Reuters about the violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories in The Hague, Netherlands October 12, 2023. (File photo: Reuters)

International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan said Sunday preventing access to humanitarian could be a crime, after visiting Egypt’s Rafah crossing with Gaza, the main entry point for international aid.

“Impeding relief supplies as provided by the Geneva conventions may constitute a crime within the court jurisdiction,” Khan told reporters in Cairo.

He said he wanted “to underline clearly to Israel that there must be discernible efforts without further delay to make sure civilians” in the Hamas-run Palestinian territory “receive basic food, medicines”.

“I saw trucks full of goods full of humanitarian assistance stuck where nobody needs them, stuck in Egypt, stuck at Rafah,” Khan said.

“These supplies must get to the civilians of Gaza without delay.”

On Sunday the United Nations warned it feared a breakdown of public order after looting at food aid centres in Gaza run by its agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

UN chief Antonio Guterres said the situation was “growing more desperate by the hour” as casualties in the war increase and essential supplies of food, water, medicine and shelter dwindle.

People in the Palestinian territory have lived under Israeli blockade for 16 years and under complete siege for the past three weeks after the territory’s Hamas rulers launched deadly attacks into Israel that sparked a war.

Hamas militants stormed across the Gaza border on October 7 in the deadliest attack in Israel’s history, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 239 others, according to Israeli officials.

The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza says the retaliatory Israeli bombardment has killed more than 8,000 people, mainly civilians and half of them children.

Khan said his office had an ongoing investigation into “any crimes committed on the territory of Palestine and any crimes committed, whether it’s by Israel and Palestine or whether it’s acts committed on the territory of Palestine or from Palestine into Israel.”

“This includes current events in Gaza and also current events in the West Bank,” Khan said, adding that he was “very concerned also by the spike of the number of reported incidents of attack by settlers against Palestinian civilians” in the territory Israel has occupied since 1967.

Khan also said hostage taking was a breach of the Geneva Conventions.

“I call for the immediate release of all hostages taken from Israel and for their safe return to their families,” Khan said.

The British lawyer said “Israel has clear obligations in relation to its war with Hamas, not just moral obligations but legal obligations” to comply with the laws of conflict.

“These principles equally apply to Hamas in relation to firing indiscriminate rockets into Israel,” he said.

View original: https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2023/10/29/ICC-prosecutor-at-Rafah-border-crossing-says-hopes-to-visit-Gaza-Israel

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VIDEO: ICC Prosecutor speaks outside compound by Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza Strip

THE International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan KC was at the Rafah crossing point between Egypt and the Gaza Strip this weekend. Watch his remarks on the current situation in Israel and the State of Palestine in this clip filmed outside the compound of the Rafah crossing.

Le Procureur de la #CPI @KarimKhanQC était au point de passage de Rafah entre l'Égypte et la bande de Gaza ce week-end.

Regardez ses remarques sur la situation actuelle en Israël et dans l’État de Palestine (en anglais). 👇 pic.twitter.com/WC8rcf71mD

— CPI-Cour pénale int. (@CourPenaleInt) October 30, 2023

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Israel says ground operations expanding as it intensifies Gaza bombing. Gaza can't be contacted

Communications go down in Gaza, leaving residents uncontactable. Hamas says clashes are taking place in northern areas. (Photo/caption from BBC)

Summary

• Israel says its ground forces are "expanding operations" targeting Hamas in Gaza
• Huge explosions were seen in the territory, with Israeli warplanes carrying out heavy strikes
• Hamas says clashes have taken place in northern Gaza - reports say some Israeli troops and tanks have entered
• Earlier, an Israel Defense Forces spokesman told Gaza City residents to move south for their safety
• Communication networks went down around the same time, meaning residents in Gaza can't be contacted
• The UN General Assembly called for an immediate humanitarian truce, with 120 states voting for a resolution put forward by Jordan
• Israel has been bombing Gaza since the 7 October Hamas attacks that killed 1,400 people and saw 229 people kidnapped as hostages
• The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says 7,000 people have been killed since Israel's retaliatory bombing began

Source: BBC News Live Reporting Sat, 28 Oct 2023 00:50 BST. Read latest:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-67246761

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UN General Assembly adopts Gaza resolution calling for immediate and sustained ‘humanitarian truce’

THE United Nations General Assembly on Friday (27 Oct) adopted a resolution calling for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce” between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in Gaza. It also demands “continuous, sufficient and unhindered” provision of lifesaving supplies and services for civilians trapped inside the enclave, as news reports suggest Israel has expanded ground operations and intensified its bombing campaign. Read more: https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/10/1142847

UN Photo/Evan Schneider Members of the United Nations General Assembly vote on a resolution at the resumed 10th Emergency Special Session meeting on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

BREAKING: UN General Assembly ADOPTS resolution on “protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations” on the ongoing Gaza crisis

FOR: 120
AGAINST: 14
ABSTAIN: 45

LIVE COVERAGE https://t.co/MOnKoTdNsb pic.twitter.com/WG68GaxMMV

— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) October 27, 2023 

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VIDEO & TRANSCRIPT: Declaration of Commitment made to allow humanitarian access to Sudan

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: I made this transcript of the video below.



Transcript of a video posted at YouTube 13 May 2023:

Declaration of Commitment made to allow humanitarian access to Sudan

VOICE SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation):
Caption: JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia
In the absence of a ceasefire the United Nations has been pressing parties to agree to a set of humanitarian principles that would allow for sid to flow to the millions living on the edge even before the latest fighting erupted.

VOICE Stéphane Dujarric, UN Secretary-General's Spokesperson:
The Secretary-General welcomes the signing by the parties to the conflict in Sudan of the Declaration of Commitment to protect civilians and guarantee the safe passage of humanitarian aid in the country while humanitarian workers most notably are local Sudanese partners have continued to deliver in very very difficult circumstances. The Secretary General hopes that this declaration will ensure that the relief operations can scale up swiftly and safely to meet the needs of millions of people in Sudan. He reiterates his call for an immediate ceasefire and expanded discussions to achieve the permanent cessation of hostilities. The U.N will spare no efforts to assist in the declaration's implementation and will continue to deliver humanitarian aid, ceasefire or not.

VOICE SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation):
DECLARATION OF COMMITMENT
- respect for international law
- refrain from civilian harm
- allow for unimpeded humanitarian passage
- observing regular humanitarian pauses

The detailed Declaration of Commitment includes pledges from both sides to respect International humanitarian and human rights law including distinguishing between civilians and combatants and between civilian objects and military targets to allow and facilitate an impeded passage of humanitarian relief and personnel and observing the implementation of regular humanitarian pauses as needed among other parameters Hoping to arrest violations by both military factions.

VOICE Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
I strongly condemn this wonton violence in which both sides have trampled International humanitarian law notably the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution. The Sudanese military has launched attacks intensely occupied civilian areas including airstrikes.

VOICE SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation):
Last week one airstrike reportedly hit the vicinity of a hospital in the East Nile area of Khartoum killing several civilians. The RSF meanwhile has allegedly taken over numerous buildings in Khartoum to use as operational bases, evicting residents and launching attacks from densely inhabited urban areas.
More than 730,000 people have been internally displaced since the fighting between Sudan's armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces began almost a month ago while the UN has warned that in the absence of a truce more than 800,000 could flee the country.

VOICE Volker Perthes, UN Secretary-General Special Representative: Sudan:
This is the first time that we have a mutual, a mutual declaration on something which is not a ceasefire but a mutual signed declaration of the two warring parties on respecting International humanitarian law and international human rights law and some more concrete provisions like vacating hospitals and medical facilities which is good. And of course the aim is to have a ceasefire which is also mutually agreed which I hope would give more stability and more respect to a ceasefire than when it is only based on unilateral declarations.

VOICE SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation):
The United States which is co-hosting the talks in Saudi Arabia says they will now focus on reaching an agreement on an effective ceasefire of up to approximately 10 days to facilitate the humanitarian agreement. Referring to a step-by-step approach agreed by the parties, subsequent discussions will be focused on a permanent cessation of hostilities that has today been out of reach for the belligerents. The UN has been clear that any notion of a military victory for either side would be a miscalculation. -Sherwin Bryce-Pease, SABC News, New York.

View original at YouTube: https://youtu.be/fEkg9BsfzX0

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