By Max Bartels 

Impunity Watch Reporter, The Middle East 

 

Damascus, Syria

This week ISIS fighters attacked and seized a large portion of the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp outside of Damascus in Syria. The camp has been a humanitarian issue for years, when fighting in Syria broke out many groups such as Hamas supported Sunni rebels efforts to topple Assad’s government. Prior to ISIS involvement Assad limited food and aid coming into the camp. Over the last four years the camp has been virtually destroyed by the conflict between various factions. Most recently, ISIS has entered the fight for the camp with the intention of using it as a platform for further advances into the South of Syria and into Damascus itself.

ISIS has overrun the Palestinian militia group called Aknaf Beit al-Maqdis, a group aligned with Hamas to control an estimated 70 percent of the camp. It is reported that ISIS has support from one of its chief rivals in Syria, the al-Qaeda affiliated al-Nusra front. Civilians left in the camp are caught in the crossfire between ISIS, its allies and various Palestinian rebel factions. Prior to the fighting in Syria the camp composed of about 150,000 Palestinian refugees, now that number has been reduced to just 18,000. 2,000 residents were evacuated during the latest outbreak of fighting by the U.N. and other international aid groups.

The humanitarian situation in Yarmouk is concerning. The camp has no water or power and the residents face constant shelling from forces on all sides. Aid has been unable to enter the camp because of the intense shelling and fighting since ISIS has entered the fold. In response to the worsening humanitarian situation the International Red Cross, among other agencies have called for all sides and all factions to allow aid to enter the camp immediately and for these agencies to be allowed to evacuate as many of the estimated 18,00 civilians still trapped inside the camp as possible.

Palestinian leaders in the West Bank have reported that they have come to an agreement with Assad’s government for the Syrian army to take military action to push ISIS out of the camp. Officials in the West Bank have stated clear support for the Syrian government and their effort to push ISIS out of Yarmouk however; there are Palestinian groups in the camp who have opposed Assad’s government since the beginning of the conflict. As of now it is unclear whether all the Palestinian factions in Yarmouk support the deal  between the West Bank and Assad for a Syrian military offensive to retake the camp.

For more information, please see: 

BBC News — Syria Conflict: Huge Suffering in Yarmouk, Activist Says — 8 April, 2015

Al Jazeera America — ISIL Takeover of Yarmouk a “Siege Within a Siege” — 8 April, 2015 

Reuters — PLO Backs Syrian Army Drive to Regain Yarmouk Camp From Militants — 9 April, 2015

Yahoo News — Palestinian Envoy: “Military Option Agreed for Syria Camp — 9 April, 2015

 

By Max Bartels 

Impunity Watch Reporter, The Middle East 

 

The Hague, Netherlands  

On Wednesday Palestine officially joined the International Court of Justice after signing the Rome Statute in January if this year. Palestine seeks to pursue charges against Israel for alleged war crimes committed on Palestinian territory by Israeli troops. Israel is not a party to the Rome Statue however; military and civilian officials could still face charges if the court believes that crimes were committed on Palestinian territory. The signing of the Rome Statute by Palestine also opens up Palestinian officials and militants to be prosecuted by the court.

There are reports that several Palestinian are set to file complaints with the ICC, however it is the prosecutors and the judges who decide which cases to pursue. When Palestine signed the Statute in January, ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda launched a preliminary to determine if there will be a formal investigation into Palestinian grievances.

The Israeli government objected to the Palestinian Authority joining the Court, stating that Palestine is not recognized as a sovereign state. The U.S has also objected to the addition of Palestine to the Court for the same reason and warned that it would cut funding for the Palestinian authority. The Israeli government froze about $400 million in tax revenues collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinian organization. Human Rights Watch called for governments who are penalizing Palestine for joining the Court to end their pressure. Human Rights Watch claims that it documented what it believed to be war crimes during the 2014 Gaza conflict which claimed 2,000 Palestinian lives as well as 73 Israeli. However, both sides had prevented meaningful justice for these incidents. Israel has launched investigations into the incidents in Gaza but the Palestinian authority has not announced an investigation of its own.

It remains to be seen whether the Court will chose to launch formal investigations into the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. The Court will be hesitant of being dragged into such a heavily politicized case. Furthermore, the ICC does not investigate cases that are already being looked into by other judicial institutions. The Court will not investigate these allegations if an Israeli judicial institution is investigating the case up to the standards if the International Criminal Court. Experts have stated that if the Court does open formal investigations they will not open them in an area that includes only Israel, they will want to look into both sides.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera — Palestine Formally Joins International Criminal Court — 1 April, 2015

BBC News — Palestinians Formally Join International Criminal Court — 1 April, 2015

The Huffington Post — Palestinians Join International Criminal Court, Risking Loss of U.S. Aid — 1 April, 2015

Reuters — Dilemma for Israel as Palestinians Join War Crimes Court — 31 March, 2015

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Managing Editor

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraqi forces fighting to liberate the strategic city of Tikrit from the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIS) have reportedly found that ISIS forces have booby-trapped, slowing the advance of Iraqi soldiers who have been supported by U.S airstrikes as well as Iranian fighters. “A rapid advance in a city where the ground is littered with bombs and booby-traps is too tough to achieve,” said the Tikrit Mayor Osama al-Tikriti. The use of Bobby-Traps, traps that target objects or persons with special protection under international humanitarian law or traps that are likely to attract civilians are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law.

The security forces and Shia militias, who provided the largest number of fighters, began their offensive against ISIS on 2 March but stopped their operations temporarily after two weeks of fighting after suffering heavy casualties and tensions and seeing high tensions between the Iraqi government and with US officials over Iran’s prominent role in the fight to liberate Tikrit. Ultimately, the United States insisted on the pullback of the Iranian backed Militia as a precondition for involvement in airstrikes, General Lloyd Austin of the United States said. “Once those conditions were met – which included Shia militia not being involved – then we were able to proceed,” he told lawmakers.

Security forces said on Sunday that they were slowly advancing into Tikrit’s western area with the help of US-led airstrikes despite Shia militias boycotting the offensive. “There is some resistance from the enemy, but it’s mainly due to the booby-traps set up on the roads, in the houses, shops and government facilities,” Brigadier-General Thamer Mohamed said. “As you can see, our units are advancing and we have air support.” On Sunday, Iraqi forces attempted to clear a path through booby-trapped areas infiltrate Tikrit from the southern district of Shisheen, however the militants used anti-tank missiles to destroy a bulldozer being used by the Iraqi military create a safer path around booby-trapped roads, an official said.

Coalition airstrikes led by the United States against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) targets in Tikrit began late last Wednesday. According to General Lloyd Austin of the United States, the Iranian-backed Shia militia in Iraq which has led an operation against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in the strategic city of Tikrit is no longer leading the operation to recapture the city. General Austin, head of United States’ Central Command, said the withdrawal was a precondition for American-led airstrikes. However, even as airstrikes open the door for Iraqi forces to enter the city these strikes do little to protect Iraqi forces and civilians from the dangers they have found in and around the booby-trapped city.

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – Booby-Traps Halt Iraqi Forces’ Advance On Tikrit – 30 March 2015

Reuters – Booby-Traps Halt Iraqi Forces’ Advance On Tikrit – 30 March 2015

BBC News – Iraq Crisis: Tikrit Push ‘No Longer Led By Shia Militia’ – 30 March 2015

The Washington Post – U.S. Forces Begin Airstrikes In Tikrit, Where Iran-Backed Militias Are In Lead – 25 March 2015

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Managing Editor

SANA’A, Yemen – Collation airstrikes led by Saudi Arabia continued bombing Houthi targets in Yemen a day after Yemini President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who fled the Yemini capital in February, arrived in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Coalition targets included the Shia rebel group’s stronghold of Saada.  Yemen’s besieged government said Saudi-led airstrikes would not last long on the second day, however spokesman of the coalition announced on Thursday that the military operation against the Houthi would continue “as long as necessary.” United States Department of State Spokesperson Jeff Rathke, stated that the United States government “understands the concerns” of the Saudis and is “supportive of their effort”. According to the international human rights group Amnesty International at least six children were among 25 people killed in the air strikes in the capital city of Sana’a on Thursday. Earlier, Houthi sources reported that at least 18 people had been killed by the strikes.

The Saudi led coalition, whose members are mostly Arab Gulf States, began its campaign of airstrikes Thursday in an attempt to push back Houthi gains in Yemen, which borders Saudi Arabia on the Arabian Peninsula. President Hadi left Yemen on Thursday and is expected to attend an Arab summit meeting Shamal Shake Egypt on Saturday, where he is expected to attempt to shore up Arab support for the campaign against the rebels. In a Facebook post by President Hadi the Yemini leader urged Yemenis to be patient, saying the “rebels” would soon be gone. However, despite the air strikes, Houthi forces pushed forward in their attempt to extent control in the region south of Sana’a.

Houthi leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, in a televised speech, described the Saudi-led operation as a “despicable aggression.” Al-Houthi said, “What do they expect us to do, surrender, announce our defeat and act like cowards? Absolutely not. This is not how the honorable Yemeni people think. We will fight back. All 24 million Yemenis will stand united and face that despicable aggression.”

Iran, which has been accused of supporting the Houthis but denies the allegation, has condemned the airstrikes as “a dangerous step” that violated “international responsibilities and national sovereignty”. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the coalition airstrikes amounted to “military aggression” and “condemned all military intervention in the internal affairs of independent nations.” Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who is in Switzerland participating in negations regarding the country’s nuclear program, argued that air strikes would lead only to greater loss of life. “Military action from outside of Yemen against its territorial integrity and its people will have no other result than more bloodshed and more deaths,” he told the Iran’s state-owned Al-Alam television channel.

The United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said on Friday that Saudi Arabia felt it necessary to intervene in Yemen to avoid an Iranian-backed regime taking over Yemen, which shares a border with Saudi Arabia. He said, “the Saudis are very exercised by the idea of an Iranian-backed regime in Yemen,” he told reporters during a visit to Washington. “They cannot accept the idea of an Iranian-backed regime in control of Yemen, which is why they felt compelled to intervene the way they have.” He added, “we know there has been Iranian support for the Houthi and we are all concerned to avoid this becoming a proxy war.”

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – Coalition Jets Continue To Hit Houthi Targets In Yemen – 27 March 2015

Reuters – Britain’s Hammond: Saudis Cannot Accept Iranian-Backed Regime in Yemen – 27 March 2015

Reuters – Saudi-Led Campaign Strikes Yemen’s Sanaa, Morocco Joins Alliance – 27 March 2015

Al Jazeera – Iran Warns Of Bloodshed as Saudi-Led Forces Bomb Yemen – 26 March 2015

By Max Bartels 

Impunity Watch Reporter, The Middle East 

 

Sanna, Yemen

Saudi Arabia commenced air strikes in Yemen on Thursday in an attempt to halt the advances of the Houthi militia in Yemen. Saudi Arabia has gathered together a coalition of Arab nations to combat the Houthis, the Saudis are leading the coalition with 100 fighter jets, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 30 aircraft, 15 from Kuwait and Bahrain, 10 from Qatar and Jordan as well as naval support from Pakistan and Egypt. The coalition is made up of all Sunni nations, targeting the Iranian backed Shiite Houthi militia. The Saudis, as well as the other nations in the coalition are concerned about an Iranian run Shiite state on the Arabian Peninsula.

Iran has expressed concern over the coalition airstrikes against the Houthi militia, claiming it further complicates an already complicated situation of internal strife. The Iranian Foreign Ministry claims the coalition attack on the Houthis will allow groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda of the Arabian Peninsula to grow unchecked and take advantage of the chaos. The IranianForeign Ministry has also denied any military intervention in support of the Houthi militia. On the other hand, the U.S has expressed support for the Saudi led coalition, although Secretary of State Kerry has stated that the U.S will not intervene in the Yemen situation. The U.S supported the now deposed Saudi backed Yemeni government because of their support for the U.S drone strike campaign against Al Qaeda targets in Yemen. The U.S claims it will assist the coalition with intelligence sharing, targeting assistance and logistical support.

The Houthis have emerged as the dominant power in Yemen. The Sunni, Saudi backed Yemeni President Hadi was removed from power in January by the Houthis, since then the country has been in a state of chaos with differnet factions vying for power. The Saudis claim that their military operations are in support of Hadi and the legitimately elected government of Yemen. In support of these operations the Saudis have deployed 150,000 Saudi troops at the Yemen border in case a ground offense is undertaken against the Houthi militia. The Houthis claim that the coalition airstrikes into Yemen only serve to unite the people of Yemen to the Houthi cause. There is little the Houthi forces can do in response to persistent airstrikes but the militia claims that if Saudi ground forces invade they will be repulsed.

For more information, please see:

The Washington Post — Saudi Arabia Launches Airstrikes in Yemen — 25 March, 2015 

Reuters — Saudi Arabia Leads Airstrikes Against Yemen’s Houthi Rebels — 26 March, 2015

CNBC — Saudi Arabia, Allies Launch Airstrikes in Yemen Against Houthi Fighters — 26 March, 2015

CNN — Saudi – Led Coalition Strikes Houthi Rebels in Yemen — 26 March, 2015