MIDDLE EAST: The Israel & Palestine Crisis Worsens
As the fighting escalates between two sides, one thing holds true despite any opinions, people want Israel and Palestine to stop firing at each other.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued an urgent appeal for all parties involved in this week’s escalation of violence in the occupied Palestinian enclave of Gaza, and Israel, to “immediately cease the fighting,” or risk creating an “uncontainable security and humanitarian crisis.”
“The ongoing military escalation has caused great suffering and destruction,” said a statement issued on behalf of Guterres by his Spokesperson. “It has claimed scores of civilian lives, including, tragically, many children. The fighting has the potential to unleash an uncontainable security and humanitarian crisis and to further foster extremism, not only in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, but in the region as a whole.”
In a statement, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the region, Lynn Hastings, said some 10,000 Palestinians had fled their homes in Gaza, with limited access to water, food, hygiene, and health services.
“The Israeli authorities and Palestinian armed groups must immediately allow the United Nations and our humanitarian partners to bring in fuel, food, and medical supplies and to deploy humanitarian personnel. All parties must always adhere to international humanitarian and human rights laws,” she said.
“Civilians are suffering,” spokesperson Jens Laerke told journalists earlier, at a media briefing in Geneva, noting that extensive damage has been reported to civilian property in densely populated areas all across the Gaza Strip, with over 200 housing units destroyed or severely damaged.
There are also reports of hundreds of people, many from refugee camps in Gaza, seeking safety and shelter in schools run by UNRWA, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, especially in the northern Gaza Strip.
On May 17, U.S. President Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. The President reiterated his firm support for Israel’s right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks. The President welcomed efforts to address intercommunal violence and to bring calm to Jerusalem. He encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians.
The two leaders discussed progress in Israel’s military operations against Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza. The President expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed U.S. engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end. The two leaders agreed that they and their teams would remain in close touch.
There is no word on if Biden attempted to reach out to Palestinian leadership.
UNITED STATES: Fighting COVID Fraudsters
On May 17, U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland directed the establishment of the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance enforcement efforts against COVID-19 related fraud.
“The Department of Justice will use every available federal tool—including criminal, civil, and administrative actions – to combat and prevent COVID-19 related fraud. We look forward to working with our federal government colleagues to bring to justice those who seek to profit unlawfully from the pandemic,” wrote Attorney General Garland in a memo announcing the Task Force.
The federal government responded to the far-reaching economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic with critical COVID-19 relief to workers and businesses affected by the pandemic. There has already been extraordinary vigilance, across the federal government, to help ensure that those much-needed public funds make it to Americans who are depending on them to feed their families and keep their businesses open. While it is impossible to keep all those intent on carrying out illegal COVID fraud schemes from doing so, the Department of Justice and its partner agencies have already been working to hold hundreds of bad actors accountable.
The Task Force will augment and incorporate the existing coordination mechanisms within the Department and will continue to work in close coordination with other efforts underway throughout the federal government. It will work closely with the Department’s interagency partners to share information and insights gained from prior enforcement experience, in order to reduce the potential threat to the American people and COVID-19 relief, and will help agencies tasked with administering these significant relief programs increase their fraud prevention efforts by providing any appropriate information law enforcement learns about fraud trends and illicit tactics.
Additionally, it will also bolster efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminals, prevent the exploitation of government assistance for personal and financial gain, and recover stolen funds.
Organized and led by the Deputy Attorney General, the Task Force includes several entities within the Department of Justice, including the Criminal and Civil Divisions, the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Key interagency partners, such as the Department of Labor, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Homeland Security, the Small Business Administration, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Relief (SIGPR), the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC), and others, have been invited to be part of the Task Force.
The Department of Justice needs the public’s assistance in remaining vigilant and reporting suspected fraudulent activity. To report suspected fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at (866) 720-5721 or file an online complaint at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Complaints filed will be reviewed at the NCDF and referred to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies for investigation.
EUROPE: Hit and Run Driver Gets More Time
Mohammed Ishfaq, who killed a grandmother in a hit and run incident has had his prison term increased following an intervention by the Solicitor General, the Rt Hon Lucy Frazer QC MP.
In November 2017, Krishna Droch, 62, was killed when she was struck by Ishfaq’s speeding car that was travelling on the wrong side of the road in Birmingham.
Drug dealer, Ishfaq, aged 31 at the time of offending had consumed a cocktail of drugs including heroin and cocaine with his friend Daren Holness, before they drove to an address to sell drugs. When they arrived, they noticed two vehicles waiting for them, so they drove away, resulting in a car chase that lasted for approximately half a mile.
CCTV footage captured Ishfaq driving on the wrong side of the road, overtaking several vehicles by driving onto the oncoming lane and through a red light. The road had a speed limit of 30 mph, but he was driving between 50-56 mph when he hit the victim who was using a pedestrian crossing. The victim died at the scene.
Ishfaq failed to stop at the scene, instead he drove for another two miles before stopping to consume more drugs with Holness. They then removed any evidence from the vehicle and left on foot.
On March 4, the offender was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving at Birmingham Crown Court and sentenced to 6 years and 3 months’ imprisonment.
The Solicitor General referred Ishfaq’s original sentence to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. The Court found his sentence to be unduly lenient and on May 18 increased his sentence to 8 years’ imprisonment.
Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General said: “Ishfaq’s actions stole the life of a much-loved woman and shattered a family. This was a senseless and avoidable crime. Crimes of this nature should be met with the full force of the law, and I am pleased the Court of Appeal increased the sentence today. My thoughts remain with the family and friends of Krishna Droch at this difficult time.”
AFRICA
Nation Asked to Address Domestic Violence
Failure to address domestic violence in South Africa is a violation of women’s rights, independent UN experts said in a report published on May 17, citing low levels of prosecution and conviction as factors.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) visited the country in September 2019 to conduct a confidential inquiry into allegations raised by civil society organizations.
Available evidence indicated that the scale of domestic violence, including femicide, is alarmingly high, members said.
Many women and girls in South Africa, particularly in rural areas, are victim of harmful practices such as child marriage, abduction for marriage (“ukuthwala”), and polygamy or polygamous unions that often give rise to domestic violence.
CEDAW found those who reported their abuser often did not get the protection they needed. Official figures show that out of nearly 144,000 requests for protection orders in 2018-2019, only around 22,200 were granted. In many cases, the protection order just called for the abuser to sleep in a different room, in the same house.
The experts highlighted the substantial suffering experienced by women and girls frequently exposed to domestic violence, including sexual violence, from a very young age.
“Many victims described physical violence including rape, battery with objects, kicks and inflicted burns by their partners, who often abused alcohol or drugs, had low self-esteem or had sadistic tendencies,” the Committee said.
“Some survivors used drugs to cope with the violence or had attempted to commit suicide. Even after leaving an abusive relationship, many continued to suffer from depression, trauma and anxiety.”
The report also noted that in many cases, women had been killed by their partners.
The report includes 34 recommendations for action. They include effective law enforcement, policies ensuring adequate access to justice, protection and victim support services, and measures dismantling patriarchal attitudes and discriminatory stereotypes that legitimize domestic violence.
