“During that time, Khalil’s wife, Noor Abdalla, gave birth to their son, Deen. Khalil could only listen on the phone.” Deen, he explained, chopping cauliflower, means “faith” in Arabic. “And in Hebrew it means ‘law,’ ” he added.

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have withdrawn from the International Criminal Court. The past and present show that only states who fear accountability for atrocity crimes attack or leave the #ICC. guardian.ng/news/burkina...

As the US government trains its sights on the ICC as a whole, a reminder of a continuing and indefensible failure to protect the institution and its agents:

Not unexpected. Still bad. Really bad. #ICC www.reuters.com/world/europe...

"A life is a life. We are duty-bound, all of us, to protect each other. This duty is indivisible, just as our common humanity is indivisible." "I declare that, today, France recognizes the State of Palestine."

Robert Post: "this week, for the first time, I have become frightened that freedom of speech in America might actually be endangered. Authoritarianism, with its trademark suppression of free political discussion, looms on our horizon."

Portugal recognizes the State of Palestine

Why recognize the State of Palestine? Isn't it pointless? Mere symbolism? Isn't the two-state solution an illusion? Or even a trap? Whatever your view, take a minute to read this speech by Palestine's Deputy Ambassador to the UN from June 30. digitallibrary.un.org/record/40861...

The United Kingdom recognizes the State of Palestine

Canada recognizes the State of Palestine

Australia recognizes the State of Palestine

Brazil, invoking Article 63 of the ICJ Statute, filed a declaration of intervention in the case SouthAfrica v. Israel.

A congressional authorization for the Trump administration’s use of military force against “narcoterrorists” wouldn’t solve the fundamental problems: 1) that military forces is the wrong tool 2) this isn’t a war 2) targets thus far haven’t been lawful www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/u...

More than a dozen elected officials were arrested in or around 26 Federal Plaza in New York City, where ICE detains people in what courts have ruled are unsanitary conditions.

🧵 PEN America’s new report documents the Israeli military’s catastrophic destruction of Gaza’s cultural heritage alongside firsthand accounts from Palestinian cultural figures. pen.org/press-releas...

PEN America condemns the Trump administration’s unconstitutional retaliation campaign against Mahmoud Khalil for his pro-Palestinian speech, most recently evidenced by an immigration court decision ordering Khalil to be deported to Algeria or Syria. Full statement: pen.org/press-releas...

Are we really doing this again?

"An immigration judge in Louisiana has ordered pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent resident of the U.S., deported to Syria or Algeria for failing to disclose certain information on his green card application" Transparent pretext. www.politico.com/news/2025/09...

"I do not write this to create a litmus test for others, and I don’t think it’s useful to fixate on getting other leaders to use the specific word “genocide.” "More important than the word itself is that we change the conversation and change our policy."

"I recognize that many people may disagree with this conclusion. The truth is, whether you call it genocide or ethnic cleansing or mass atrocities or war crimes, the path forward is clear." "We, as Americans, must end our complicity in the slaughter of the Palestinian people."

"the European Commission presented today its proposal to the Council to suspend certain trade-related provisions of the Association Agreement between the EU and Israel . as well as its proposals for sanctions on Hamas, extremist ministers and violent settlers" ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

I spoke with CNA Singapore about the UN Commission of Inquiry report on #genocide in #Gaza, including the importance of #intLaw and how, while it has its challenges, it is still an important system of global cooperation and regulation youtu.be/zLAHMM61OWs?...

"at least 39 of the facilities operate militarisation programmes where [Ukrainian] children as young as eight are put through weapons training, grenade-throwing competitions and tactical medicine courses." What Ukraine is fighting against. www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

"Today, a UN commission of enquiry described what is happening in Gaza as a genocide. As human beings, we cannot stand by and let this continue to happen." — Lewis Hamilton, 7-time Formula 1 world champion

Here is the report. 72 pages of strong content that definitively find 4 of the crimes of #genocide are taking place in #Gaza, & that civilian & military leaders incl Netanyahu are committing incitement to genocide. #intlaw www.ohchr.org/sites/defaul...

The three most damning paras in the UN Report alleging that Israel is perpetrating genocide in Gaza: Siege starvation, attacks on health care, direct targeting of children as patterns that cannot be explained except if group destruction is one animating purpose.

EXCLUSIVE: Israel has killed nearly 3,000 Gaza aid seekers: www.thenewhumanitarian.org/investigatio... (@newhumanitarian.bsky.social)

"I do not write these words as an adversary of Israel.... Our commission has documented the crimes by Hamas. But no crime, however grave, justifies genocide. To respond to atrocity with atrocity is to abandon the very values international law was created to protect."

In local news, a New York City mayoral candidate is trying to distance himself from his prior statements on Israel and Palestine but his opponent continues to use those statements against him.

"Our database contains information on almost 200 attacks on people seeking aid in Gaza between January 2024 and the end of July this year, resulting in over 1,200 people killed and nearly 4,700 wounded." "These numbers are a conservative estimate and do not include attacks ... near GHF sites"

Javier Bardem shouts out @drmelob.bsky.social on the red carpet

Two out of three

"Israelis—Jews and Palestinians—we are not able to stop this alone." "I ask you—I beg you all—to do whatever is in your power to stop this madness." "Every little action counts, as governments hesitate and wait."

"Fifteen international doctors [said] that during their work in hospitals in Gaza, they saw [at least 114] children aged 15 years and younger with gunshot wounds to the head or chest." "Eyewitnesses told the doctors that the bullets mostly came from Israeli . snipers or drones"

ICYMI in a very bad news week: On 9/9, Israel ordered a complete evacuation of Gaza City; aside from clear violations of international law, this powerful visual story @josh-h.bsky.social shows how residents have nowhere to go: www.nytimes.com/interactive/... See also: www.reuters.com/world/middle...

Butler, a Jewish scholar who has been critical of Israel, said on Friday ... “We’ve been a place where controversial public issues can be freely debated. We have different views on Israel-Palestine. We need to hear them even when they upset us." Grim.

"The banality of evil in the Gaza war is not embodied in malicious individuals but in the routine work of jurists who authorized orders for air strikes that have led to the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians while relying on International Humanitarian Law." www.haaretz.com/magazine/202...

This is where impunity leads.

When I advocate for members of Congress in the minority to conduct "shadow oversight," this is one of the things I mean. Excellent work by Senators Van Hollen and Merkley.

"The Netanyahu government has not kept its goals secret in Gaza. Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government have made the removal of Palestinians from Gaza a strategic aim of the war." "That is ethnic cleansing."

The civilization I am fighting for

"Putting the Infidels biker club in charge of delivering humanitarian aid in Gaza is like putting the KKK in charge of delivering humanitarian aid in Sudan"

In case they visit the US, 18 U.S. Code § 2441. Not now, but in the future DOJ HRSP may have the appetite.

What is happening in Gaza has shaken the conscience of the world. Man-made famine can never be a weapon of war. This must stop. EU aid to Gaza far outweighs that of any other partner. But of course, Europe needs to do more. Here are measures for a way forward ↓

"What is happening in Gaza has shaken the conscience of the world." "People killed while begging for food." "Mothers holding lifeless babies." "Man-made famine can never be a weapon of war." "For the sake of the children, for the sake of humanity – this must stop."

"A five-month investigation . identified six people shot by Israeli snipers on 22 November 2023 . who grew up in Naperville, Illinois and Munich, Germany." "Their story illuminates patterns of killing by Israeli troops, who . treated unarmed men between 18 and 40 . as targets"

Ukraine war briefing: Putin awards ‘courage’ medal to Russian general sought by ICC over alleged crimes against humanity in Ukraine

A US kinetic strike on a suspected drug boat, lawful self-defence or utterly lawless? (No prizes for guessing.) Join @pagingdrpaige.bsky.social, Rob McLaughlin & @alonso-gd.bsky.social on #CalledToTheBar as they unpack law & blurred lines in the “war on drugs/terror.” soundcloud.com/calledtotheb...

This harrowing UN Fact-Finding Mission report - "Sudan: A War of Atrocities" - details multiple RSF and SAF war crimes and crimes against humanity. These include multifaceted starvation crimes - key drivers of famine in several areas of the country. 1/4 www.ohchr.org/sites/defaul...