Palestine

The Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights has warned against further arms transfers to Israel, which he says could be used to commit human rights violations in Gaza. In a statement this morning, Michael O'Flaherty said the conflict in Gaza "has reached disastrous proportions and continue

Amnesty International has accused the PSNI of breaching human rights law after a woman was arrested for allegedly wearing a T-shirt showing support for banned group Palestine Action. The 74-year-old woman was arrested in Belfast on Saturday, while others received cautions for wearing T-shirts with t

Ireland should press for a change in EU legislation to allow central banks to refuse to facilitate the sale of Israeli bonds, an Oireachtas committee has recommended. The Oireachtas joint committee on finance, public expenditure, public service reform and digitalisation, and Taoiseach has made 15 re

Proposed legislation banning the importing of goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem should be extended to cover services, an Oireachtas committee has recommended. The Oireachtas joint committee on foreign affairs and trade yesterday published its pre-legislative

An Irish expert in human rights law who played a role in the unprecedented arrest of two Israeli soldiers in Belgium has urged more countries to carry out criminal investigations into war crimes in Gaza. Two Israeli soldiers were arrested at the Tomorrowland music festival in Belgium last week on th

As a summer of horrors unfolds in Gaza, the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (Mark Stephens CBE, IBAHRI co-chair, Hina Jilani, IBAHRI co-chair and Baroness Helena Kennedy LT KC, IBAHRI director) asks the international community: if not now, when will it be time to act? Death, s

Ireland, the UK and 26 other countries have condemned Israel's "inhumane killing of civilians, including children" in Gaza in a strongly-worded joint statement. Issued yesterday and running to just under 400 words, the statement calls for an "immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire" as it w

Ireland should not give into "fearmongering" about legislative plans to ban imports from illegal Israeli settlements, Amnesty International has said. The Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill will ban the importation of goods to Ireland from illegal Israeli settle

A dozen countries have committed to taking action against Israeli violations of international law following a two-day conference which brought together representatives of 30 states, including Ireland.

The EU's decision not to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement will be remembered as "one of the most disgraceful moments in the EU's history", human rights campaigners have said. Ireland is among EU member states who pushed unsuccessfully for more concrete action to be taken at yesterday's me

Ireland's long-standing representative on a Council of Europe human rights body has resigned over its failure to speak out on Gaza. Human rights lawyer Michael Farrell has been a member of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) for the past 14 years, and has served at various

Simon Harris has said the Irish government remains a "steadfast supporter" of Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on Palestine who has been sanctioned by the Trump administration. The Tánaiste yesterday told TDs that the imposition of US sanctions on Ms Albanese, an outspoken oppone

The US has imposed sanctions on Francesca Albanese, a leading UN expert on Palestine, in connection with her support for the International Criminal Court (ICC). Ms Albanese has served since May 2022 as special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 19

Ministers have set out their proposals to ban the importation of goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The general scheme of the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill has now been published.

Palestine Action has announced plans to challenge the UK government in court over its plans to proscribe the direct action protest group under terrorism legislation. Gareth Peirce of Birnberg Peirce Solicitors, a high-profile lawyer who previously represented the Guildford Four and the Birmingham Si