Skip next section Berlin police arrest 23 as students vow to maintain university occupation
05/23/2024May 23, 2024
Berlin police arrest 23 as students vow to maintain university occupation
Police in Berlin, Germany, on Thursday arrested 23 individuals in connection with the ongoing occupation of a building at the city’s Humboldt University by .
Roughly 100 students occupied rooms in the social sciences department on Wednesday. School .
Additionally, 25 criminal cases were opened to investigate, among other things, the display of unconstitutional insignias, property damage, and resisting arrest.
Police say roughly 320 protesters were taking part in the occupation.
The students accuse Israel of “committing genocide in Gaza,” and are demanding the university pressure the German government to end all military, financial and diplomatic cooperation with Israel as well as push for a cease-fire.
Group organizers, calling themselves the Student Coalition Berlin said the protest was
A spokesperson for the group said they intended to renegotiate a previous agreement to leave the buildings until Humboldt University President Julia von Blumenthal agreed to their demands.
Among those sharply criticizing such actions were Josef Schuster, president of the Central Committee of Jews in Germany; and Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner, who said universities are places of knowledge and discourse, not “lawless spaces for anti-Semites and terrorist sympathizers.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4gDPF
Skip next section Israel will not be deterred as ICJ set to rule on Rafah offensive
05/23/2024May 23, 2024
Israel will not be deterred as ICJ set to rule on Rafah offensive
The has said that it will issue a ruling Friday on whether further steps can be taken to prevent what South Africa describes as “the genocide of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip” as .
South Africa submitted the appeal to the , on May 10, and is requesting that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) be ordered to withdraw from Gaza.
The ICJ has previously instructed Israel — which entered Gaza in response to an October 7, 2023, attack launched from the enclave by the governing Islamic militia Hamas — to take measures to prevent genocide and to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.
, and says it will not be deterred from defending itself.
On Thursday, Israeli government spokesman Avi Hyman said, “No power on earth will stop Israel from protecting its citizens and going after Hamas in Gaza.”
Although the ICJ’s rulings are binding, it possesses no mechanism with which to enforce them.
The court may, however, request that the UN Security Council take action on its behalf.
https://p.dw.com/p/4gDOq
Skip next section Egypt still committed to peace despite uncertainty over its role
05/23/2024May 23, 2024
Egypt still committed to peace despite uncertainty over its role
security sources on Thursday told Reuters news agency that the country remains committed to negotiating the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza as well as the establishment of a cease-fire, despite growing uncertainty over .
The sources said that Egyptian officials had been in contact with Israel over arranging a new date for .
Egypt, which for months has been working alongside Qatar and the US to facilitate such a deal, indicated Wednesday that it would withdraw from negotiations due to its frustration over a lack of progress as well as Israel’s military offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Cairo was also angered by .
Egypt, wary of a mass displacement of Palestinians, has so far rebuffed US calls to facilitate aid deliveries through the Rafah crossing, saying a resumption will only take place after Israel relinquishes control of the Gaza side of the crossing.
https://p.dw.com/p/4gDOg
Skip next section Israel tells Irish, Norwegian and Spanish ambassadors, ‘Hamas congratulates you’
05/23/2024May 23, 2024
Israel tells Irish, Norwegian and Spanish ambassadors, ‘Hamas congratulates you’
on Thursday summoned the ambassadors of , and the to be “reprimanded” for their countries’ “perverse decision” to , according to Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yaakov Blitshtein.
“There will be additional serious consequences for relations with their countries following the decision they made,” he said.
The ambassadors were first shown a three-minute clip of the kidnapping of five female Israel Defense Forces soldiers — footage that was taken by Islamist fighters during their October 7 attack on Israel — before being upbraided.
Blitshtein said the announcement of pending recognition made it, “more difficult to promote a deal for the release of hostages.”
“The twisted decision by your governments is a prize to Hamas,” Blitshtein reportedly told the ambassadors on Thursday, “Hamas congratulates you.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez previously said his government’s decision would help facilitate the implementation of a two-state solution between Israel and Palestinian leaders.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has rejected the idea, called the decision, “a reward for terror.”
js/rc (AFP, AP, Reuters)
https://p.dw.com/p/4gDOX
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