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MISSION REPORT following the mission to Switzerland from 11 to 12 September 2025
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

A young boy walks through the rubble of his home in Al Nusirat, Gaza, September 2025. Credit: UNICEF/Eyad El Baba
 
The effectiveness and credibility of the international rules-based order depend on whether leading states hold rule-breakers accountable, be they friends or foes.

By Daryl G. Kimball
WASHINGTON DC, Oct 3 2025 (IPS)

As a world leader and beneficiary of the international system, the United States should be at the forefront of efforts to enforce rules and laws to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, protect civilians in conflict, and block weapons transfers to states that engage in war crimes or genocide.

Since the heinous October 7, 2023, terrorist attack by Hamas, the Israeli military has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 168,000 in its two-year bombing campaign in Gaza. Many thousands more are dying from starvation and disease. The campaign is disproportionate and illegal by many measures.

There is overwhelming evidence that U.S. weapons, and weapons from other states, have been used by the Netanyahu government in its war on Gaza in violation of humanitarian law and that Israel has blocked humanitarian assistance from the U.S. government, other nations, and nongovernmental aid groups.

In the name of defeating Hamas, the Israeli government—using U.S.-supplied weaponry and ammunition—has systematically bombed population centers, including schools, hospitals, water and sanitation infrastructure, and aid workers and has forcibly displaced of hundreds of thousands of civilians.

Yet President Donald Trump, his predecessor Joe Biden, and the majority of Congress have failed to uphold U.S. and international law. They have refused to use their considerable leverage to withhold military aid from Israel to protect innocent lives, facilitate a ceasefire, and secure the release of surviving Israeli hostages.

As a result, the United States is complicit in one of the most horrific chapters in human history. Its reputation as a defender of the international rules-based system is in tatters.

In July, B’Tselem—the independent Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories—released a detailed report that finds that “for nearly two years, Israel has been committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.” In July, UN world hunger experts declared that the besieged civilian population in Gaza was at risk of famine.

A September report from Democratic U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Jeff Merkley of Oregon, based on their regional fact-finding trip, concluded that: “The Netanyahu government has used a two-pronged strategy—the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure and the use of food and humanitarian assistance—as a weapon of war. The goal is, in effect, to ethnically cleanse Gaza of its Palestinian population.”

The U.S. Foreign Assistance Act—and basic human decency—require withholding military aid when U.S. weapons are used by any government that engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of human rights or that restricts the delivery of U. S. humanitarian assistance.

Despite the war’s devastating toll on civilians, the Trump administration has accelerated military aid to Israel and reversed earlier Biden restrictions on the delivery of 2,000-pound bombs, which have indiscriminate effects when dropped in populated areas.

In February, the Trump administration notified Congress of seven major arms sales to Israel amounting to over $11 billion of lethal weapons. Immediately afterward, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unilaterally broke the phased ceasefire that had been negotiated between Israel and Hamas before the last two phases could be negotiated.

Since then, Israeli violence against civilians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank has escalated, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has only worsened.

Following another notice of arms transfers to Israel in July, some members of Congress put forward joint resolutions of disapproval that could have blocked the Trump administration’s proposed $675 million weapons transfer to Israel.

Although more than 60 percent of the American people oppose further U.S. military aid to Israel, the measure won the support of just 24 senators, all Democrats.

In the face of U.S. inaction, Netanyahu defied international calls to end the war, ordered a new military offensive against Gaza City, and rejected Palestinian statehood.

Not only is it past time for Congress to enforce U.S. laws designed to protect civilians; the desperate situation also demands that other international actors step up to enforce the most basic international rules to protect civilians.

As a distinguished group of UN experts proposed Sept. 5, the General Assembly should adopt a “Uniting for Peace” resolution, demanding and enforcing a cessation of Israel’s bombardment and displacement of civilians in Gaza, the release of remaining Israeli hostages by Hamas, an immediate arms embargo on Israel and Hamas, and the unfettered delivery of humanitarian aid by UN and independent nongovernmental aid groups.

A robust Uniting for Peace initiative would pressure U.S. and Israeli leaders to act within the international rules and help enforce any plan to end the war, including the U.S.-Israeli brokered plan they demand that Hamas accept or else Israel’s assault will continue.

Such resolutions, which carry greater legal and political weight and can authorize a UN emergency force, have been used in rare cases when Security Council members fail to maintain international peace and security. If there has been any occasion for bolder action, it is now.

Daryl G. Kimball is Executive Director Arms Control Association, Washington DC.

The Arms Control Association, founded in 1971, is a national nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to promoting public understanding of and support for effective arms control policies.

Source: Arms Control Today

IPS UN Bureau

 

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TASR: Bombariadó van a nagymihályi (Michalovce) kórházban. A rendőrség lezárta a kórház környékét és megtette a szükséges óvintézkedéseket – tájékoztatta a TASR-t Lenka Ivanová, a Kassai Kerületi Rendőrkapitányság szóvivője. „Folyamatban van az épület átkutatása bombakereső kutyával és tűzszerészek bevonásával” – tette hozzá a szóvivő. Részletesebb tájékoztatást egyelőre nem ad a rendőrség.

On 23 September, the Committees on Foreign Affairs and on Development, together with the Subcommittee on Human Rights, presented the candidates for this year's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, one of the most important events of the European Parliament. On 16 October, the AFET and DEVE committees will meet again to narrow down the list of nominees to a three-candidate shortlist, via a secret vote.
Each year the Sakharov Prize reaffirms the European Parliament's unwavering commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights, a founding principle of the European Union. The winning 2025 laureate(s) will be announced on 22 October by the Conference of Presidents (EP President and political group leaders) and an exchange of views with the laureate(s) will take place in a joint Committee meeting on 15 December. The Prize will be presented to the laureate(s) at an award ceremony during the December plenary, on 16 December.
Sakharov Prize website
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The nominees for this year’s Prize will be presented by the political groups in a joint meeting of the Committees on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and on Development (DEVE) and the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) in Brussels on 23 September, 14:30-15:30. Each year, the Parliament awards the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to honour exceptional individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms.
In 2024, the Prize was awarded to María Corina Machado, leader of the democratic forces in Venezuela, and President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia.The AFET and DEVE Committees will vote on a shortlist of three finalists on 16 October and the Conference of Presidents will take a decision on the final laureate on 22 October.
Sakharov Prize - Presentation of the nominees - Webstreaming link
Sakharov Prize website
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

A Progresszív Szlovákia (PS) pénteki (10. 3.) sajtótájékoztatója

Selon un projet de conclusions du Conseil consulté par Euractiv, les États membres se disent prêts à soutenir l’initiative présentée par Bruxelles en matière d’accès au logement, tout en avertissant qu’il ne faudra pas dépasser certaines limites.

The post Les Vingt-Sept devraient soutenir le plan de la Commission pour favoriser l’accès au logement — mais avec des réserves appeared first on Euractiv FR.

In today's edition: Sovereign cloud accord, court slaps Meta over dark pattern

Willkommen bei Rapporteur! Jeden Tag liefern wir Ihnen die wichtigsten Nachrichten und Hintergründe aus der EU- und Europapolitik. Need-to-knows: Tschechien: Die ANO-Partei von Andrej Babiš liegt vorn, während die Wähler zur zweitägigen Parlamentswahl gehen. Sanktionen: EU-Diplomaten erwägen Schengen-Reisebeschränkungen für Moskauer Gesandte. Belgien: Bart De Wever zeigt sich offen für die Nutzung eingefrorener russischer Vermögenswerte. Brüssel […]

In today's edition: Tuna, Biotech act, Mercosur, EU-UK

Bienvenue dans Rapporteur. Je suis Nicoletta Ionta à Bruxelles. À savoir : République tchèque : le parti ANO d’Andrej Babiš en tête alors que les électeurs se rendent aux urnes pour deux jours d’élections législatives Sanctions : les diplomates de l’UE envisagent des restrictions de voyage Schengen pour les envoyés de Moscou Belgique : Bart […]

The post Andrej Babiš prêt pour un retour appeared first on Euractiv FR.

A postával együttműködve indít újabb programot a nyugdíjasokat ért csalások megelőzésére a belügyi tárca. A nyugdíjjal együtt tájékoztató szórólapot is kézbesít a posta a nyugdíjasoknak, amelyben elmagyarázzák, mire kell figyelniük – közölte csütörtöki (10. 2.) Matúš Šutaj Eštok belügyminiszter.

In today's edition: Green Deal, deregulation, renewable energy, deforestation

In today's edition: Biotech Act, Gastein vibes, and Várhelyi’s tough stance on tobacco

TASR: Összesen 20 közlekedési baleset és 55 káresemény törtét a múlt héten Nagyszombat megye útjain. Három balesetnél az alkohol is közrejátszott – tájékoztatott a közösségi hálón a Nagyszombati Kerületi Rendőrkapitányság.

Zoran Živković fut l'un des acteurs majeurs de la chute de Milošević. Premier ministre de Serbie après l'assassinat de Zoran Đinđić, en 2003, il raconte « son » 5 octobre 2000. Un témoignage exceptionnel.

Révolte étudiante et citoyenne en Serbie, chaos institutionnel en Bosnie-Herzégovine, élections cruciales en Moldavie... L'avenir des Balkans et de l'Europe se joue maintenant. Pour tout comprendre, pour ne rien perdre, abonnez-vous au Courrier des Balkans, en profitant de notre offre spéciale : 40 euros seulement pour un an !.

> Pour vous abonner à ce tarif exceptionnel, c'est par ici !

- Articles / Courrier des Balkans, Serbie, Histoire, Politique, Serbie 5 octobre 2000, Assassinat Đinđić, Une - Diaporama, Une - Diaporama - En premier

Zoran Živković fut l'un des acteurs majeurs de la chute de Milošević. Premier ministre de Serbie après l'assassinat de Zoran Đinđić, en 2003, il raconte « son » 5 octobre 2000. Un témoignage exceptionnel.

Révolte étudiante et citoyenne en Serbie, chaos institutionnel en Bosnie-Herzégovine, élections cruciales en Moldavie... L'avenir des Balkans et de l'Europe se joue maintenant. Pour tout comprendre, pour ne rien perdre, abonnez-vous au Courrier des Balkans, en profitant de notre offre spéciale : 40 euros seulement pour un an !.

> Pour vous abonner à ce tarif exceptionnel, c'est par ici !

- Articles / Courrier des Balkans, Serbie, Histoire, Politique, Serbie 5 octobre 2000, Assassinat Đinđić, Une - Diaporama

US deportee says Ghanaian officers secretly moved him and others to Togo and left them there without documents.

Munich became the latest to close its airspace on Thursday night after several drone sightings, causing more than 30 flights to be cancelled or diverted

In the packed conference hall of the Heritage Hotel, the sound of Pacific voices filled the air—not just through speeches, but in song, rhythm, and poetry. The Dreamcast Theatre Performing Arts group opened the Second Pacific Island Ocean Conference with an evocative performance, reminding leaders and practitioners why they had gathered: to listen. To listen […]