US-Russia prisoner swap ‘an unprecedented diplomatic act’, rights expert says
More than 20 people were released, including journalists, human rights defenders and dissidents. Among them were American Evan Gershkovich, a reporter with the Wall Street Journal; Alsu Kurmasheva a Radio Liberty journalist who holds US citizenship, and recent Pulitzer Prize…
Security Council debates ‘serious and dangerous escalation’ in the Middle East
“The international community must work together to prevent any actions that could make the conflict much bigger and wider very quickly,” Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for political affairs said, warning of skyrocketing tensions in the wake of the killing of…
Middle East: Beirut and Tehran attacks ‘represent a dangerous escalation’, Guterres warns
“The Secretary-General believes that the attacks we have seen in South Beirut and Tehran represent a dangerous escalation at a moment in which all efforts should instead be leading to a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all Israeli hostages,…
UN appeals for ‘maximum restraint’ following Israeli strikes in Beirut
“As we await further clarity on the circumstances, we again urge the parties to exercise maximum restraint and call on all concerned to avoid any further escalation,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a note to correspondents that evening. He called…
Israeli military in spotlight over ‘incommunicado’ detention of Palestinians
“The staggering number of men, women, children, doctors, journalists and human rights defenders detained since 7 October, most of them without charge or trial and held in deplorable conditions, along with reports of ill-treatment and torture and violation of due…
Skyrocketing violence against children in Sudan demands urgent protection measures: UN report
The report on Children and Armed Conflict in Sudan, released on Tuesday, documented a staggering 2,168 grave violations against 1,913 children in 2022 and 2023 – a significant increase compared to the previous reporting period. The most prevalent violations included…
UN ramps up assistance to survivors of Papua New Guinea massacre
More than 50 people in three villages in East Sepik province – Tamara, Tambari and Agrumara – were reportedly killed following an alleged land dispute on 17 July. Nearly 200 people have found refuge in the town of Angoram and…
Independent rights experts urge States to comply with ICJ ruling on Israel
The UN’s highest court issued an advisory opinion on 19 July which said that Israel’s occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, “is unlawful”. It was responding to a request by the UN General Assembly…
UN rights office condemns forced evictions of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem
These evictions are “facilitated by the unlawful application of discriminatory Israeli laws against Palestinians in the occupied territory,” the office said in a statement. Legal Proceedings About 87 Palestinian families – nearly 680 individuals – face legal actions begun by…
Gazans need polio vaccines amid ‘deathly cycle’ of hunger, heat and disease, say UN aid agencies
Almost 10 months of war and intense Israeli bombardment have shattered healthcare in Gaza and disrupted routine inoculation rounds for youngsters, leaving them exposed to a range of preventable diseases including polio, which the UN World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed…