Following several recent revelations of Kremlin-backed attempts to interfere with and undermine European democratic processes, MEPs adopted on Thursday a resolution firmly denouncing such efforts. Any such tactics, they say, must have consequences. Parliament is appalled by credible allegations that some MEPs were paid to disseminate Russian propaganda and that several participated in the activities of pro-Russian media outlet “Voice of Europe”, at the same time as Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.
MEPs want EU and member state leaders to deal with Russian interference efforts, not just in the EU institutions but across the Union. There is, they argue, a sense of urgency and resolve to this given the approaching European elections on 6-9 June 2024.
Paying elected representatives to spread propaganda
Referencing suspected Russian interference cases from across Europe, including Bulgaria, Germany and Slovakia, MEPs are concerned by the recent questioning of leading Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) MEP Maximilian Krah by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over suspicions that he received money from Kremlin agents, and by the arrest in Germany on 23 April 2024 of his parliamentary assistant on charges of being a Chinese spy. Parliament calls on the AfD to publicly declare without delay its financial relations, especially with the Kremlin, and to publicly disclose the purpose and exact amount of all payments originating from Kremlin-linked sources.
Joint and vigorous response needed to counter interference
MEPs say that while Russia remains the main origin of foreign interference and disinformation in the EU, other countries are also active. They underline that the EU’s response to these threats can only be effective if it is based on a cross-cutting, holistic and long-term policy approach jointly carried by both the EU and member states.
To beef up Parliament’s own defences, the resolution suggests enhancing its internal security culture, including thorough internal investigations to assess possible cases of foreign interference and the full enforcement of its internal sanctions framework. MEPs also want mandatory security training for MEPs and staffers, appropriate security clearance, and reinforced staff screening.
The resolution calls on the Council to include Kremlin-backed media outlets, other broadcasting and media organisations, and individuals responsible for propaganda and disinformation campaigns in the EU in the forthcoming 14th Russian sanctions package. MEPs want to mirror the sanctions adopted by the Czech government against “Voice of Europe”, as well as Ukrainian pro-Russian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk and his close associate Artem Marchevskyi. They also deplore Voice of Europe’s ability to restart its operations from Kazakhstan and call on EU member states to ensure it cannot be accessed in the EU.
For the full details, the resolution will be available in full here (25.04.2024). It was adopted by 429 votes in favour, 27 against with 48 abstentions.
Azerbaijan, notably the repression of civil society and the cases of Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu and Ilhamiz Guliyev
MEPs urge Azerbaijan to immediately and unconditionally release Ilhamiz Guliyev, a human rights defender arrested in December 2023, and all other political prisoners, including EU and other nationals. They call on the authorities to lift the travel ban and drop all charges against Gubad Ibadoghlu, a political economist and opposition figure, and ensure he receives independent medical care after he was released from jail and placed under house arrest on 22 April.
The ongoing human rights violations in Azerbaijan are incompatible with the country hosting COP 29, MEPs say. They want the Commission to consider suspending the strategic partnership with Azerbaijan in the field of energy. MEPs insist on making any future partnership agreement conditional to the release of all political prisoners and an improvement of the human rights situation in the country, and they reiterate their call for EU sanctions against Azerbaijani officials who have committed serious human rights violations.
The resolution was adopted by 474 votes in favour, 4 against and 51 abstentions. For further details, the full version will be available here (25.04.2024).
Concern over potential repeal of female genital mutilation ban in The Gambia
MEPs warn that The Gambia risks being the first country in the world to reverse legal protection against female genital mutilation (FGM) and urge the Gambian Parliament to reject a proposal to repeal the current FGM law and to uphold the practise’s criminalisation. They also urge the Gambian government to strengthen its efforts to prevent and eliminate FGM through enforcement measures, education and collaboration with international partners.
Parliament says it is ready to support the government and civil society in community engagement to combat FGM, assist survivors, and defend women’s rights. FGM should, MEPs argue, be urgently and systematically raised with the Gambian authorities by the Commission and the European External Action Service.
The resolution was adopted by 535 votes in favour, 1 against and 1 abstention. For further details, the full version will be available here (25.04.2024).
The new security law in Hong Kong and the cases of Andy Li and Joseph John
The resolution strongly condemns the adoption of the Safeguarding National Security Ordonnance (SNSO) in Hong Kong, expanding the National Security Law (NSL) imposed by China, and urges China and Hong Kong to repeal both laws.
MEPs are appalled by the shutting down of pro-democracy political forces, civil society, news outlets and the arrest of over 200 people since the adoption of NSL. They urge the Hong Kong government to immediately and unconditionally release Andy Li, Joseph John, Jimmy Lai, all other pro-democratic activists, and drop all charges against them.
They demand the Council review its 2020 Conclusions on Hong Kong and adopt sanctions under the EU global human rights sanctions regime against Chief Executive John Lee and all officials responsible for the crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong. They are also concerned about the Safeguarding National Security Ordonnance’s extraterritoriality and retroactivity, targeting the Hong Kong diaspora, and urge member states to suspend extradition treaties with China and Hong Kong.
The resolution was adopted by a show of hands. For further details, the full version will be available here (25.04.2024).
A year to the day since heavy fighting erupted between Sudan’s rival militaries, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warned of a further escalation, including an imminent attack on El-Fasher in North Darfur.
“The Sudanese people have been subjected to untold suffering during the conflict which has been marked by indiscriminate attacks in densely populated areas, ethnically-motivated attacks, and ahigh incidence of conflict-related sexual violence. The recruitment and use of children by parties to the conflict are also deeply concerning,” said Mr. Türk.
And as an international donor conference for the Sudan emergency began in Paris on Monday, the UN rights chief underscored the potential for further bloodshed, as three armed groups announced that they were joining the Sudanese Armed Forces in their fight against the Rapid Support Forces and “arming civilians”.
“I appeal to the generosity of donors to step up their contributions” and support for the life-saving humanitarian work being done, with woeful shortfalls in current contributions.
The Humanitarian Response Plan of $2.7 billion is only around six per cent funded.
“We urge effective and coordinated international mediation efforts to stop the fighting”, he said.
Since fighting erupted on 15 April 2023, more than eight million people have been displaced, including at least two million to neighbouring countries.
Acute hunger danger
“Nearly 18 million people face acute food insecurity, 14 million of them children, and over 70 per cent of hospitals are no longer functional amid a rise in infectious diseases – this catastrophic situation must not be allowed to continue,” said High Commissioner Türk.
Echoing those concerns, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that some 8.9 million children are suffering from acute food insecurity; this includes 4.9 million at emergency levels.
“Almost four million children under five are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year”, including 730,000 from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition, UNICEF said in a statement on Sunday.
“Almost half of the children suffering from severe acute malnutrition are in areas that are hard to access” and where there is ongoing fighting, noted UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, Ted Chaiban.
“This is all avoidable, and we can save lives if all parties to the conflict allow us to access communities in need and to fulfil our humanitarian mandate – without politicizing aid.”
Civilian rule targeted
Top UN rights official Türk also expressed deep concern that arrest warrants had been issued against former Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and others on apparently unsubstantiated charges.
“The Sudanese authorities must immediately revoke the arrest warrants… and prioritize confidence-building measures towards a ceasefire as a first step, followed by a comprehensive resolution of the conflict and the restoration of a civilian government,” Mr. Türk insisted.
UN humanitarians meanwhile have reiterated that chronic hunger and malnutrition continue to make children “much more vulnerable to disease and death”.
Conflict has also disrupted vaccination coverage in Sudan and safe access to drinking water, UNICEF explained, meaning that ongoing disease outbreaks such as cholera, measles, malaria and dengue now threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of children.
“Spikes in mortality, especially among internally displaced children, are a forewarning of a possible huge loss of life, as the country enters the annual lean season,” the UN agency said, as it underlined the need for predictable and sustained international aid access.
“Basic systems and social services in Sudan are on the brink of collapse, with frontline workers not being paid for a year, vital supplies depleted, and infrastructure, including hospitals and schools, still under attack.”
Schools shuttered
And in a warning that the whole country could be engulfed in fighting that has left half of Sudan’s population in need of humanitarian relief, the global fund for education in emergencies, Education Cannot Wait, underscored that four of the eight million people uprooted by the violence are children.
The conflict “continues to take innocent lives, with over 14,000 children, women and men reportedly killed already,” said Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait.
Ms. Sherif echoed deep concerns that Sudan now has one of the worst education crises in the world, with more than 90 per cent of the country’s 19 million school-age children unable to access formal education.
Mariam Djimé Adam, 33, is sitting in the yard of Adre’s secondary school in Chad. She arrived from Sudan with her 8 children.
“Most schools are shuttered or are struggling to re-open across the country, leaving nearly 19 million school-aged children at risk of losing out on their education,” she said.
To date, the global fund has provided nearly $40 million to support education for victims of the crisis in Sudan and beyond, in the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan.
“Without urgent international action, this catastrophe could engulf the entire country and have even more devastating impacts on neighbouring countries, as refugees flee across borders into neighbouring States,” Ms. Sherif said.
The house where Abdallah’s family was located housed around 25 people, including residents and displaced people who had taken shelter there. Last night’s attack claimed the lives of at least seven people and injured many more.
Abdallah Nabhan was a very dedicated and appreciated colleague. He joined Enabel in April 2020 as Business Development Officer as part of a European project aimed at helping small businesses in the Gaza Strip to produce ecologically, in addition to a Belgian Cooperation project aimed at helping young people to find a job.
Like all other Enabel employees in Gaza, Abdallah was on the list of people authorized to leave Gaza, which was handed over to Israeli authorities several months ago. Sadly, Abdallah died before he and his family were allowed to safely leave Gaza. Currently, seven staff members remain in Gaza.
The Minister of Development Cooperation, Caroline Gennez, and Enabel condemn in the strongest terms this attack against innocent civilians and demand that colleagues still present in Gaza be immediately authorized to leave.
Minister Caroline Gennez: “What we feared for a long time has become a reality. This is horrible news. I would like to express my most sincere condolences to Adballah’s family and friends, his son Jamal, his dad, his brother and his niece, as well as all the Enabel staff. Our hearts are broken once again today. Abdallah was a father, a husband, a son, a human being. His story and that of his family is just one of tens of thousands of others. When will it finally be enough? After six months of war and destruction in Gaza, we already seem to be getting used to it, but the fact remains that the indiscriminate bombing of civilian infrastructure and innocent civilians goes against all international and humanitarian laws. and the law of war. The Israeli government bears an overwhelming responsibility here. »
Jean Van Wetter, general director of Enabel: “I am deeply touched by the death of our colleague Abdallah and his son Jamal, and I am outraged and shocked by the ongoing attacks. This is yet another blatant violation of international humanitarian law by Israel. As the director of a Belgian agency and a former aid worker, I cannot accept that this has continued with impunity for so long. It is tragic that innocent civilians are victims of this conflict. We must do everything in our power to end the violence. »
Debate and vote on boosting Europe’s Net-Zero technology production
In a debate at around 10.30 with Commissioner Sinkevičius, MEPs will review legislation intended to bolster Europe’s production in technologies needed for decarbonisation. The so-called “Net-Zero Industry Act” sets a target for Europe to produce 40% of net-zero technologies such as solar panels, heat pumps, or electrolysers by 2030 and to capture 15% of the global market value for these technologies. The vote on the agreed text with Council will take place at noon.
Setting up a Body for Ethical Standards: debate and vote
Following a debate at 9.00 with Commissioner Sinkevičius, MEPs will vote at noon on the deal between EU institutions and bodies to set up a Body for Ethical Standards, which would develop and oversee common minimum standards of ethical conduct, as well as publish reports on how these have been applied in internal rules.
Alleged Russian interference in the European Parliament: vote on a resolution
In a vote at noon, MEPs will take stock of revelations about Russian influence campaigns targeting the European Parliament. They are set to call for a firm response to counter Russian interference and to demand that the German AfD publicly declare their financial dealings, especially with the Kremlin. To beef up Parliament’s own defences, they want to enhance its internal security.
Iran’s attack on Israel, the need for de-escalation and an EU response: vote on a resolution
Following yesterday’s debate, MEPs will vote on a resolution on Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel, calling on all parties to avoid any further escalation and demanding maximum restraint and de-escalation. The text welcomes the EU’s decision to expand the current sanctions regime against Iran and calls for more individuals and entities to be sanctioned.
The international day on Thursday highlights that theme, as well as the importance of recognition, justice and development opportunities for those of African descent, said Secretary-General António Guterres.
He said the results of entrenched racism continue to be devasting: “opportunities stolen; dignity denied; rights violated; lives taken and lives destroyed.”
The African diaspora faces a unique history of systemic and institutionalized racism, and profound challenges, he continued.
“We must respond to that reality – learning from, and building on, the tireless advocacy of people of African descent. That includes governments advancing policies and other measures to eliminate racism against people of African descent.”
He also singled out the recent controversy involving some artificial intelligence tools which have reportedly been unable to eliminate racist tropes and stereotypes from even highly advanced algorithms, calling on tech firms to “urgently” address racial bias in AI.
In a joint statement a group of independent UN Human Rights Council-appointed experts said the international day was a time to take stock of “persistent gaps” in the effort to protect hundreds of millions whose human rights continue to be violated due to racial discrimination.
“It is also an opportunity to recommit to our promise to fight all forms of racism everywhere.”
They noted that racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance continue to be a cause of conflict worldwide.
“We are witnessing a dangerous regression in the fight against racism and racial discrimination in many spaces”, the experts said.
“Minorities, people of African descent, people of Asian descent, Indigenous Peoples, migrants, including asylum seekers and refugees, are particularly vulnerable as they often face discrimination in all aspects of their lives based on their racial, ethnic or national origin, skin colour or descent.”
States must implement international rights obligations, conventions, and declarations to which they are a party, they added. Special Rapporteurs and other rights experts are independent of the UN or any government, and receive no salary for their work.
Tackle methane emissions now, to slow global warming
Tackling emissions of methane now, is essential to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by 2050, according to a new report issued by the UN-backed Global Methane Forum on Wednesday.
The Forum is meeting in Geneva, hosted by the UN Economic Commission for Europe, the UN Environment Programme-convened Climate and Clean Air Coalition and other partners.
Political momentum is building towards methane mitigation and new technology is allowing more accurate measurement, revealing the urgent need to turn commitment into real cuts, the Forum said in a press release.
Nearly 500 participants from across the world have been sharing success stories to catalyze methane emission reductions in line with the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to reduce emissions by at least 30 per cent from 2020 levels up to end of this decade. It now has 157 countries and the European Union on board.
The gas is responsible for around 30% of total warming since the Industrial Revolution and is the second largest contributor to global warming after CO2.
Turning pledges into action
UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean opened the plenary session on Tuesday by making a global call to mobilize more ambitious action: “Hand in hand with decarbonization of energy systems, methane emissions need to be addressed in governments’ plans for stronger climate action.”
Meeting the Global Methane Pledge goals could reduce global warming by at least 0.2° C by 2050.
“In view of the devastation and suffering caused by extreme weather events, in particular in the most vulnerable countries, the world can simply not afford to miss this opportunity”, she added.
Mpox deaths falling everywhere but Africa, says expert panel
Cases of Mpox are falling everywhere except in Africa, a UN health agency expert panel has said, warning that the virus is causing “high mortality” in children under 15 years old.
The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization meeting in Geneva to advise the World Health Organization (WHO) noted that the African Mpox strain appears to have a different genetic blueprint to other outbreaks reported around the world.
Experts on the panel highlighted the need to monitor and find the source of an ongoing outbreak of Mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo which has been linked to 265 deaths.
WHO’s Dr Kate O’Brien said the agency was encouraging countries to be proactive, “in particular the Democratic Republic of Congo, to have access to the vaccine, to use the vaccine and to do evaluations of the vaccine performance, which we expect to be very high.”
Vaccines should be used in at-risk communities and in non-high risk populations, the panel said.
But experts highlighted the problems caused by poor vaccine access in parts of Africa and urged greater investment in vaccine research on M-pox.
The WHO announced that Mpox was no longer a public health emergency last May.
Demand for peacebuilding outstrips supply
Amidst an intensification and multiplication of crises, the demand for support to UN peacebuilding continues to outstrip supply, the Secretary-General said in a new report published on Wednesday.
“The wars grabbing the headlines today only underscore the need to invest now in sustainable peace for tomorrow”, said António Guterres.
Covering the period from 1 January to 31 December, the report highlights that in 2023 the Peacebuilding Fund approved over $200 million for projects in 36 countries and territories, including for women’s and youth empowerment.
Redouble peacebuilding efforts
While the decision of the General Assembly to provide assessed contributions to the Fund starting in 2025 marked a milestone, the Fund reached its lowest liquidity level since its inception due to a decline in contributions last year.
“This is a time to redouble, not diminish, peacebuilding efforts”, said Assistant-Secretary General for Peacebuilding Support Elizabeth Spehar.
“This year’s report shows again that peacebuilding works: stronger institutions and inclusive dialogues help break and prevent cycles of violence.”
The decision rests with the military junta that has seized power
The junta in Mali continued with its restrictions on political life in the country and banned the media from covering the activities of political parties, reported AFP. This decision came a day after the junta suspended the activities of political parties in Mali.
The military, which overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita a few years ago, announced that until further notice they were suspending the activities of political parties and associations guilty of subversive activity, according to them.
Now the High Communication Authority, which regulates the activities of local media, has asked them to stop covering the activities of the parties. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed deep concern over the suspension of the parties. And US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller criticized the decision and called on Mali to hold elections.
Illustrative Photo by brotiN biswaS: https://www.pexels.com/photo/selective-focus-photography-of-magazines-518543/
A new chip can efficiently accelerate machine-learning workloads on edge devices like smartphones while protecting sensitive user data from two common types of attacks — side-channel attacks and bus-probing attacks.
Credits:Image: Chip figure courtesy of the researchers; MIT News
Researchers have developed a security solution with this tiny chip for power-hungry AI models that offers protection against two common attacks.
Health-monitoring apps can help people manage chronic diseases or stay on track with fitness goals, using nothing more than a smartphone. However, these apps can be slow and energy-inefficient because the vast machine-learning models that power them must be shuttled between a smartphone and a central memory server.
Engineers often speed things up using hardware that reduces the need to move so much data back and forth. While these machine-learning accelerators can streamline computation, they are susceptible to attackers who can steal secret information.
To reduce this vulnerability, researchers from MIT and the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab created a machine-learning accelerator that is resistant to the two most common types of attacks. Their chip can keep a user’s health records, financial information, or other sensitive data private while still enabling huge AI models to run efficiently on devices.
The team developed several optimizations that enable strong security while only slightly slowing the device. Moreover, the added security does not impact the accuracy of computations. This machine-learning accelerator could be particularly beneficial for demanding AI applications like augmented and virtual reality or autonomous driving.
While implementing the chip would make a device slightly more expensive and less energy-efficient, that is sometimes a worthwhile price to pay for security, says lead author Maitreyi Ashok, an electrical engineering and computer science (EECS) graduate student at MIT.
“It is important to design with security in mind from the ground up. If you are trying to add even a minimal amount of security after a system has been designed, it is prohibitively expensive. We were able to effectively balance a lot of these tradeoffs during the design phase,” says Ashok.
Her co-authors include Saurav Maji, an EECS graduate student; Xin Zhang and John Cohn of the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab; and senior author Anantha Chandrakasan, MIT’s chief innovation and strategy officer, dean of the School of Engineering, and the Vannevar Bush Professor of EECS. The research will be presented at the IEEE Custom Integrated Circuits Conference.
Side-channel susceptibility
The researchers targeted a type of machine-learning accelerator called digital in-memory compute. A digital IMC chip performs computations inside a device’s memory, where pieces of a machine-learning model are stored after being moved over from a central server.
The entire model is too big to store on the device, but by breaking it into pieces and reusing those pieces as much as possible, IMC chips reduce the amount of data that must be moved back and forth.
But IMC chips can be susceptible to hackers. In a side-channel attack, a hacker monitors the chip’s power consumption and uses statistical techniques to reverse-engineer data as the chip computes. In a bus-probing attack, the hacker can steal bits of the model and dataset by probing the communication between the accelerator and the off-chip memory.
Digital IMC speeds computation by performing millions of operations at once, but this complexity makes it tough to prevent attacks using traditional security measures, Ashok says.
She and her collaborators took a three-pronged approach to blocking side-channel and bus-probing attacks.
First, they employed a security measure where data in the IMC are split into random pieces. For instance, a bit zero might be split into three bits that still equal zero after a logical operation. The IMC never computes with all pieces in the same operation, so a side-channel attack could never reconstruct the real information.
But for this technique to work, random bits must be added to split the data. Because digital IMC performs millions of operations at once, generating so many random bits would involve too much computing. For their chip, the researchers found a way to simplify computations, making it easier to effectively split data while eliminating the need for random bits.
Second, they prevented bus-probing attacks using a lightweight cipher that encrypts the model stored in off-chip memory. This lightweight cipher only requires simple computations. In addition, they only decrypted the pieces of the model stored on the chip when necessary.
Third, to improve security, they generated the key that decrypts the cipher directly on the chip, rather than moving it back and forth with the model. They generated this unique key from random variations in the chip that are introduced during manufacturing, using what is known as a physically unclonable function.
“Maybe one wire is going to be a little bit thicker than another. We can use these variations to get zeros and ones out of a circuit. For every chip, we can get a random key that should be consistent because these random properties shouldn’t change significantly over time,” Ashok explains.
They reused the memory cells on the chip, leveraging the imperfections in these cells to generate the key. This requires less computation than generating a key from scratch.
“As security has become a critical issue in the design of edge devices, there is a need to develop a complete system stack focusing on secure operation. This work focuses on security for machine-learning workloads and describes a digital processor that uses cross-cutting optimization. It incorporates encrypted data access between memory and processor, approaches to preventing side-channel attacks using randomization, and exploiting variability to generate unique codes. Such designs are going to be critical in future mobile devices,” says Chandrakasan.
Safety testing
To test their chip, the researchers took on the role of hackers and tried to steal secret information using side-channel and bus-probing attacks.
Even after making millions of attempts, they couldn’t reconstruct any real information or extract pieces of the model or dataset. The cipher also remained unbreakable. By contrast, it took only about 5,000 samples to steal information from an unprotected chip.
The addition of security did reduce the energy efficiency of the accelerator, and it also required a larger chip area, which would make it more expensive to fabricate.
The team is planning to explore methods that could reduce the energy consumption and size of their chip in the future, which would make it easier to implement at scale.
“As it becomes too expensive, it becomes harder to convince someone that security is critical. Future work could explore these tradeoffs. Maybe we could make it a little less secure but easier to implement and less expensive,” Ashok says.
WHO - People gather outside the remains of Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza's largest health facility. (file)
Disturbing reports continue to emerge about mass graves in Gaza in which Palestinian victims were reportedly found stripped naked with their hands tied, prompting renewed concerns about possible war crimes amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Tuesday.
The development follows the recovery of hundreds of bodies “buried deep in the ground and covered with waste” over the weekend at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, central Gaza, and at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City in the north. A total of 283 bodies were recovered at Nasser Hospital, of which 42 were identified.
“Among the deceased were allegedly older people, women and wounded, while others were found tied with their hands…tied and stripped of their clothes,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Al-Shifa discovery
Citing the local health authorities in Gaza, Ms. Shamdasani added that more bodies had been found at Al-Shifa Hospital.
The large health complex was the enclave’s main tertiary facility before war erupted on 7 October. It was the focus of an Israeli military incursion to root out Hamas militants allegedly operating inside which ended at the beginning of this month. After two weeks of intense clashes, UN humanitarians assessed the site and confirmed on 5 April that Al-Shifa was “an empty shell”, with most equipment reduced to ashes.
“Reports suggest that there were 30 Palestinian bodies buried in two graves in the courtyard of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City; one in front of the emergency building and the others in front of the dialysis building,” Ms. Shamdasani told journalists in Geneva.
The bodies of 12 Palestinians have now been identified from these locations at Al-Shifa, the OHCHR spokesperson continued, but identification has not yet been possible for the remaining individuals.
“There are reports that the hands of some of these bodies were also tied,” Ms. Shamdasani said, adding that there could be “many more” victims, “despite the claim by the Israeli Defense Forces to have killed 200 Palestinians during the Al-Shifa medical complex operation”.
200 days of horror
Some 200 days since intense Israeli bombardment began in response to Hamas-led terror attacks in southern Israel, UN human rights chief Volker Türk expressed his horror at the destruction of Nasser and Al-Shifa hospitals and the reported discovery of mass graves.
UN Human Rights Chief @volker_turk deplores Israeli strikes on #Gaza, where every 10 minutes a child is killed or wounded.
Full-scale Israeli incursion on Rafah would risk more deaths & injuries, further breaching international humanitarian & human rights law.
“The intentional killing of civilians, detainees and others who are hors de combat is a war crime,” Mr. Türk said in a call for independent investigations into the deaths.
Mounting toll
As of 22 April, more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including 14,685 children and 9,670 women, the High Commissioner’s office said, citing the enclave’s health authorities. Another 77,084 have been injured, and over 7,000 others are assumed to be under the rubble.
“Every 10 minutes a child is killed or wounded. They are protected under the laws of war, and yet they are ones who are disproportionately paying the ultimate price in this war,” said the High Commissioner.
Türk warning
The UN rights chief also reiterated his warning against a full-scale Israeli incursion of Rafah, where an estimated 1.2 million Gazans “have been forcibly cornered”.
“The world’s leaders stand united on the imperative of protecting the civilian population trapped in Rafah,” the High Commissioner said in a statement, which also condemned Israeli strikes against Rafah in recent days that mainly killed women and children.
This included an attack on an apartment building in the Tal Al Sultan area on 19 April which killed nine Palestinians “including six children and two women”, along with a strike on As Shabora Camp in Rafah a day later that reportedly left four dead, including a girl and a pregnant woman.
“The latest images of a premature child taken from the womb of her dying mother, of the adjacent two houses where 15 children and five women were killed, this is beyond warfare,” said Mr. Türk.
The High Commissioner decried the “unspeakable suffering” caused by months of warfare and appealed once again for “the resulting misery and destruction, starvation and disease and the risk of wider conflict” to end.
Mr. Türk also reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages taken from Israel and those held in arbitrary detention and the unfettered flow of humanitarian aid.
Turning to the West Bank, the UN rights chief said that grave human rights violations had continued there “unabated”.
This was despite international condemnation of “massive settler attacks” between 12 and 14 April “that had been facilitated by the Israeli Security Forces (ISF)”.
Settler violence has been organized “with the support, protection, and participation of the ISF”, Mr. Türk insisted, before describing a 50-hour long operation into Nur Shams refugee camp and Tulkarem city starting on 18 April.
“The ISF deployed ground troops, bulldozers and drones and sealed the camp. Fourteen Palestinians were killed, three of them children,” the UN rights chief said, noting that 10 ISF members had been injured.
In a statement, Mr. Türk also highlighted reports that several Palestinians had been unlawfully killed in the Nur Shams operation “and that the ISF used unarmed Palestinians to shield their forces from attack and killed others in apparent extrajudicial executions”.
Dozens were reportedly detained and ill-treated while the ISF “inflicted unprecedented and apparently wanton destruction on the camp and its infrastructure”, the High Commissioner said.
European Parliament - Press conference EP LIBE delegation to Hungary, Budapest
A new resolution on the rule of Law in Hungary pinpoints several concerns, especially given the upcoming elections and the Hungarian Presidency of the Council.
Wrapping up the plenary debate that took place on 10 April, Parliament adopted on Wednesday (399 votes in favour, 117 against, and 28 abstentions) its final resolution in the current legislative term assessing democracy in Hungary. The text denounces serious deficiencies related to the justice system, anti-corruption and conflicts of interest, media freedom, fundamental rights, the constitutional and electoral system, the functioning of civil society, the protection of the EU’s financial interests, and compliance with the single market principles.
Concerns about the Sovereignty Protection Office
Looking into the latest instances of the “persistent systemic and deliberate breach” of EU values in the country, Parliament condemns the adoption of the Protection of National Sovereignty Act and the establishment of the Sovereignty Protection Office (SPO). The SPO has “extensive powers and a strict system of surveillance and sanctions, which fundamentally violates standards of democracy […] and breaches multiple EU laws”, Parliament says. MEPs ask the Commission to request the EU Court of Justice for interim measures to immediately suspend the law, as it affects the principle of free and fair elections.
An incomprehensible decision by the Commission
In light of all this, MEPs deplore the Commission’s decision to release up to €10.2 billion frozen EU funds, which prompted Parliament to appeal to the EU Court of Justice. The recent leaked revelations by Hungary’s former minister of justice should lead the Commission to revoke the disbursement of EU funds, the text states. Besides, MEPs stress that it is incomprehensible to release funds citing improvements to the independence of the judiciary, while funds covered by different EU laws remain blocked due to ongoing deficiencies in the same field.
Need to protect EU institutions
MEPs reiterate the need to determine whether Hungary has committed “serious and persistent breaches of EU values” under the more direct procedure of Article 7(2) instead of the Article 7(1) process that Parliament initiated in 2018 and that remains blocked in the Council. They also worry that the Hungarian Government will not be able to credibly fulfil its duties in the Presidency of the Council in the second half of 2024 and call yet again for a comprehensive mechanism to protect EU values.
