This is Gaza City yesterday- remnants of a life once lived. Nothing quite prepares you, especially if you knew her before. These are people’s homes, their favorite cafes, their parks, their schools. Gone. Destruction everywhere of life, a place, a time, a culture. From the inside
This is Khan Younis today. It still looks and feels as though an earthquake hit and then a tornado destroyed it. The destruction is overwhelming- commensurate to the needs of the civilians here trying to survive.
#Gaza
#CeasefireNOW
I won't forget the image of the two men who lay dead in the sand in front of us on Wednesday. And the immediate thought of their families, waiting for them to return from fishing that day. Their bodies remained where they fell on the beach, in broad daylight, in front of our
Things I've seen in
#Gaza
the past few days: small children climbing through trash piles to collect anything of value... parachutes from an aid airdrop used as shelter... men rounded up by soldiers, sitting on the ground with their hands up during a mass
Hi from
#Rafah
, where we are working, alongside forcibly displaced Palestinians. The sense of anxiety & panic among the civilian population is only growing. They ask us, if not now, when?
#CeasefireNOW
The bombing of Rafah two nights ago was the most intense I have experienced since November. From 2am our building shook. No one slept.
The dissonance between the extremity of the suffering, the heaviness of the death toll, and those seemingly unphased by the unimaginable loss
And hi again from
#Rafah
, where civilians were forced to go, in search of safety (it bears repeating).
#Rafah
, where 1.4m people are amassed in deteriorating conditions, many displaced multiple times.
#Rafah
, where the population has already endured intolerable pain,
First day of Eid here in
#Gaza
. Given a small bunch of flowers from someone living in a tent. Amidst this dehumanization, madness, pain, death, destruction, displacement. Many still under rubble or missing. Families unable to rest or grieve. Yet here, flowers, with a sea of tents
International law looks different from here. It’s harder to hear when there are drones above you and over 800,000 people have been displaced from
#Rafah
since the start of the operation with nowhere safe or suitable to go. The healthcare system is on its knees. Humanitarians
A devastating morning here, after a dark day yesterday. How fragile life is in Gaza. Our
@WCKitchen
colleagues were out here risking their lives to do what is right, without effective deconfliction. On the last food convoy I was on, Damian was with us. How many more lives will be
"The
@WCKitchen
team was traveling in a deconflicted zone in 2 armored cars branded with the WCK logo. Despite coordinating movements with the IDF, the convoy was hit as it was leaving the warehouse, where the team had unloaded 100+ tons of food aid."
Tuning in from Gaza to the
#ICJ
delivering its historic Advisory Opinion, it’s easy to be pessimistic. When you look outside here it’s not easy to keep up hope. But there’s no doubt that this case will help increase the tools at the disposal of Palestinians to claim their rights.
READ HERE: the full text of the Advisory Opinion in respect of the Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem
Sunset tonight in📍Rafah, as homes are destroyed and lives are shattered. Civilians looking out to the world as the cost of delay is paid in innocent lives.
#CeasefireNOW
Exhausted civilians, packing up whatever little they have now. Thrown onto carts, strapped to car roofs. To move again, somehow, whether by foot, donkey cart, or car.
Joining a slow procession along the coastal road filled with a population on the move, again. Inching forward
This is Gaza City yesterday. Still beyond imagination. Small pulses of life here and there. A mini-market of some canned food. A one legged man on crutches passing another one legged man on crutches in Beach Camp. A small boy asking for food. “Gaza, promise we will rebuild it”
As the legal world prepares to watch the
#ICJ
public hearings in the case of South Africa v. Israel tomorrow, hello from📍Rafah
#Gaza
, where there is no safe place. Almost the entire population of the Strip has been forcibly displaced.
Nearly 1.4m people in the
#GazaStrip
are
I crossed through Rafah Crossing at the back of the bus. There was a mother sitting in front of me with a baby boy and a young boy, around 4 years old.
The mum kept kissing the baby on one cheek and then the little boy, his big brother, would immediately kiss him on the other
- The vast majority of the world supports an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
- The vast majority of the world supports the protection of civilians.
- The vast majority of the world supports the unconditional release of all hostages.
- The vast majority of the world supports
Whether it be mass fatalities in a unilaterally declared “humanitarian zone" in al-Mawasi yesterday, or mass fatalities in a UN designated emergency shelter for civilians today… displaced Palestinians are being killed even where they are told to go to be safe. There is nowhere
Deadly Israeli strikes on Al Mawasi in Gaza Saturday underline again that nowhere is safe in the enclave said UN chief
@antonioguterres
calling for an immediate ceasefire & release of all hostages
Scenes from Rafah this morning, after a frightening night. The surrounding area of an airstrike, rubble, trash, a tent. A truck passing by carrying what are now precious commodities- blankets and firewood. There is the rubble too of the steady calls for safety and protection of
Wrapping up people in curtains to prevent hypothermia, ripping out cotton from baby diapers to treat severe burns. Creating a red, amber and green system to categorize and separate mass casualties. A reception room turned temporary morgue for the deceased. The injured pushed out
The human reality of what is happening in Gaza. The child that points to their bare feet in the mud. The mother who rolls up her sleeve to show the shrapnel inside her body. The protruding ribs of the brown horse on the coastal road. 1/5
@AdHaque110
@_SEDill
Thank you, Adil. And thanks for all of your work to draw attention to the unprecedented humanitarian crisis unfolding/escalating here.
I took this video outside UNRWA HQ in
#Gaza
on 12 June. Unimaginable that this installation is now flattened.
The graffiti on the perimeter wall read: “Gaza, promise we will rebuild it.” It felt almost hopeful, amid widespread destruction in al-Rimal, the beating heart of Gaza
Shocking.
@UNRWA
headquarters in
#Gaza
, turned into a battlefield & now flattened 👇
Another episode in the blatant disregard of international humanitarian law.
United Nations facilities must be protected at all times. They must never be used for military or fighting
From here in
#Gaza
. Destruction everywhere. People suffering in silence. Colleagues being killed and injured by airstrikes. People on the brink and fears for shelter rising before winter comes.
Bodies being carried in the street surrounded by children. Extreme lack of cleaning
1.9m people forcibly displaced in
#Gaza
as winter sets in. Such mass displacement weighs heavier on the heart each day- a perverse reality to watch seas of plastic tents grow, as shelters overflow, neither offering adequate protection nor shelter for those who have lost
Dignity, resilience and unspeakable grief. Self-portraits by Yazidi women enslaved by ISIS, on display at
#LSE
Middle East Centre. Excellent event starting now: Yazidi Genocide- Future Prospects for Justice and Security.
It was a pleasure to speak at
@Harvard_Law
on modernizing the
#ICC
& our proposal with
@PGAction
to create a hybrid chamber at the Court. Interesting comments and discussion from all!
@HarvardILJ
thank you for the invitation and excellent coordination of this virtual and
Can we reimagine our response to atrocity crimes? Can we align it more closely w/ restorative justice efforts & divert some of the resources spent on prisons to people? I explore this idea on
@BBCRadio4
w/ thanks to
@OllyMann
@gilesedwards
@patrickcowling1
Hi legal world from📍Rafah, this was my route to listen to the
#ICJ
's order on provisional measures as I watch in real time
#Gaza
become uninhabitable. The order is in line with what most of us were expecting.
Landing in Kabul, thinking of all the
#AfghanWomen
who are now banned from I/NGO and humanitarian work. Excluding women from work is against universal human rights standards and will have grave consequences for those most vulnerable and in need of assistance in
#Afghanistan
.
The man still searching for a warm blanket for his pregnant wife, who was due to give birth three days ago. The baby will be called Aya. Her name means “miracle”. 5/5
#ICC
: crime of aggression activated as of 17 July 2018. On another note, photos shared of the many males negotiating the aggression resolution at the podium:
Team UNRWA at the
#Gaza5k
this morning. Congrats to
@unrwausa
for running such a fantastic event ft. much dabke and much money raised for mental health care for Palestine refugees in the Gaza strip 🙏🏽
Terrific first day of
@LSE_WPS
#gender
#violence
across
#war
&
#peace
workshop. Honored to have presented on inequalities faced by Yazidi women & girls beyond exceptional moments of crisis & to listen to such diverse, thought-provoking panels inviting broader focus of
#WPSAgenda
In the early morning, instead of learning in school, children go to line up at water trucks to fill up containers.
#Gaza
Children out of school, sleeping in schools turned designated emergency shelters (if they are “lucky” to have found a place inside a classroom), for over
John Hocking, ICTY Registrar: "The ICTY set the bar. Let us now raise the bar higher. We must raise the bar higher for justice every day. Everyday, monuments turn into rubble and bodies into corpses. A judicial process is the way forward."
#ICTY
#ClosingCeremony
Strong reporting by
@BBCRajiniV
on the stories of some of the brave 156 women who confronted Larry Nassar. Proud of you for keeping the attention on the survivors, after years of them being ignored, disbelieved and silenced despite abuse suffered at hands of a trusted medical dr.
I have spent the last week interviewing and getting to know some of the brave women who faced
#LarryNassar
. Here’s what they told me.
#NassarSentencing
.
Yalla -- let's do this! I'm doing the
#Gaza5k
tomorrow with
@unrwausa
. Every little helps, please help make access to mental health care a reality for all Palestine refugee children in the Gaza Strip:
The hunched old man wearing the keffiyeh, who can barely walk on his stick, struggling to ask if his medicine is available. Being told no. The dog bleeding on the street with his tongue sticking out. 4/5
"We are at the beginning of mass destruction and all you can talk about is money... Young people are starting to understand your betrayal...we will never forgive you." - Greta Thunberg's powerful words @
#ClimateActionSummit
Proud to have spoken alongside these inspirational, strong women at
@oSYLAo
last year, who shared powerful, personal speeches. Forever in awe of you. Looking forward to
#PressforProgress
events for
#IWD2018
Joined
@secupp
at
@UnfilteredSE
, on the road towards accountability & practical justice for the Yazidis on 5 yr anniversary of ISIS’ Genocide against them. Check it out here & follow amazing orgs
@YazdaOrg
&
@Free_Yezidi
working to help Yazidi survivors:
Day 2 in
#Gaza
- excellent for the UNRWA Department of Legal Affairs to see the Deir al-Balah Food Distribution Centre in action- one of 15 essential
@UNRWA
food distribution centres in the Gaza Strip serving as a lifeline Palestine refugees.
As a
#firstgen
graduate it’s refreshing to see the classism & inequity in the int’l legal profession being increasingly & openly discussed. Such disparities are visible in practice & only amplified for those in the Global South. It’s time to actively close the North-South gap.
Symposium on Classism and the International Legal Profession: National Inequities and International Lawyering – Putting a Spotlight on Unpaid Internships
When you’re reunited with your books after 4 years in the field and dip back into those that truly gave you the final nudge to work in this rewarding field Cc
@CliveSSmith
🙏🏻
Harrowing listening to Jasmine Arbery, Ahmaud Arbery’s sister, describing Ahmaud’s qualities and how she loved these aspects of him yet that “these are the qualities that made these men assume that Ahmaud was a dangerous criminal and chase him with guns drawn”
#AhmaudArbery
The toddler walking diagonally, looking dizzy and ill. The father who split his displaced family between shelters again so they don’t all die together. 3/5
Having worked for
#IRMCT
since 2015 until last year this is a pretty great day, promising justice for victims of the Rwandan Genocide after a search that crossed continents
#KabugaArrested
:
According to TMA these are the heaviest rains that Tanzania has experienced since independence in 1961. Thinking of those who have lost their lives in Dar es Salaam & all flood victims. Hoping that government can set up more temporary accommodation for the thousands displaced.
@KatrinaNation
, forever restoring faith in humanity and the media through nurturing political movements and holding those in power accountable 💪🏻💪🏼💪🏽💪🏾
Just in time for your weekend reading- an incredible collection of
#WomenandLaw
essays by
#WomeninLaw
. Congratulations to all, incl. my former Reprieve colleague
@PradhanAlka
& Professor Catharine MacKinnon Cc:
@atlas_women
Yazidi survivors are still waiting for truth, justice & accountability. The immediate need to find the missing & reunify families remains, as well as the need to ensure the safety, protection & wellbeing of
#Yazidis
as a group, incl. those remaining in
#Iraq
today
#yazidigenocide
The teta in the wheelchair wedged between two tents. The senior woman with no way to move sleeping on the cold ground. The man you gave the cucumbers to, eating them immediately from the bag. The boy exiting his tent using crutches in the sand. 2/5
Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice is urgently raising funds to support 2 local safe houses providing medical, psycho-social & legal support to survivors of sexual violence in conflict-affected provinces of Eastern DRC. Every $ counts
@atlas_women
:
One day, a strong female UN Secretary-General will be active from Syria to Colombia, Haiti to Bangladesh, talking to women, hearing their stories, engaging with aspiring female leaders and being a symbol of hope to them
#genderparity
#IWD2018
“The function, the very serious function of racism is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining...”
@dialash
aptly quoting Toni Morrison, addressing
@theCCR
’s intervention OBO Palestinian landowners in a settler case against Airbnb
@CPSColumbia
UNSG Guterres reaffirming his “total commitment” to UN’s zero tolerance policy on sexual harassment, acknowledging obstacles to upholding zero tolerance in male dominated cultures, “including here at the United Nations” and pledging his determination to remove them
@atlas_women
I am pleased to announce that for the first time, the UN has reached gender parity in our Senior Management Group. We will continue to change the dynamic and put greater power into the hands of women to prevent and end sexual harassment and all abuse of power.
On women’s participation in peace agreements post WPS agenda- overall %s have increased yet international community often focuses narrowly on “just bringing a female body to the table”
#ParticipationForPeace
Ambassador Stephen J. Rapp on the broader implications of the “interests of justice” assessment made by
#ICC
Pre-Trial Chamber in the Afghanistan decision. Excellent panel on the relationship between the US & the ICC
@ILA_official
#ILW2019
John Hocking, ICTY Registrar: "The ICTY set the bar. Let us now raise the bar higher. We must raise the bar higher for justice every day. Everyday, monuments turn into rubble and bodies into corpses. A judicial process is the way forward."
#ICTY
#ClosingCeremony
One Day, I Will. Brilliant exhibit by
@UNOCHA
at
#UNHQ
on the resilience and creativity of girls, who are among those most affected by conflict and natural disasters
Today I was transported to Sinjar viewing the incredible
@NbdyListeningVR
which commemorates the 5th anniversary of the Yazidi Genocide by ISIS & aims to refocus international attention on the need for accountability. It moved me beyond words
#WeAreListening
#YazidiGenocide
Independent review by Justice Hassan B. Jallow, CJ of The Gambia, re the passing of Slobodan Praljak "did not expose any gaps or flaws in the ICTY legal framework with regard to the treatment of detainees at the UNDU":
As perhaps the last generation with the immense privilege to hear from
#Holocaust
survivors firsthand, listening to the powerful testimony of Mr. Shraga Milstein,
#Holocaust
survivor
@UN
reminds us that it’s up to us to continue to honour and keep telling their stories
#HMD2020
“Under Isis we were strangled and now we are free. But even before that, women stayed at home. We didn’t go out and work. In Jinwar, I’ve seen that women can stand alone.”
When your friend, the inspiring
@Blackstarjus
, Exec Director of Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center, Howard University comes to the
#UN
to talk about reparations for racial discrimination,
#criticalracetheory
& human rights obligations to ensure racial justice
UN SG's statement on the continuing violence in occupied East Jerusalem, as well as the possible evictions of Palestinian families from their homes in the
#SheikhJarrah
and
#Silwan
neighborhoods:
Providing AI technology for drone strike targeting is quite at odds with a company whose motto is “Don’t be evil”. Military use of machine learning should concern us all. On
#Google
being in business of war, for DoD’s new algorithmic warfare initiative:
From helping in a very small way with research for this project @ EJI almost 5 years ago, to now seeing the finished product and observing the necessary public attention being granted to it, Bryan Stevenson's words ring true: "do something disruptive, do something different."
More than 4,000 black men, women, and children died at the hands of white mobs between 1877 and 1950. Can you name any of them? This memorial in Montgomery, Alabama, is trying to change that.
Today marks the 6th anniversary of the
#Yazidi
genocide. After facing genocide & 6 years of displacement, little has been done for the Yazidi survivors by the national & international community. Around 2,800 Yazidis remain missing & the need for
#protection
&
#justice
persists.