Yesterday, 10 December 2023 was the 75th Anniversary of the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948 during the tenure of Australia's Dr HV Evatt as President of the General Assembly.
Australia had been on the UN Drafting Committee responsible for formulating the draft declaration and pushed for the declaration to include a covenant making it legally enforceable. Australia went on the become one of the original signatories to the final form declaration.
Seventy-five years later......
On 10 December 2023 media sources stated that the death toll in the Gaza Strip was thought to be over 17,700 dead or missing presumed dead since Israel's sustained retaliatory bombardment began on 8 October 2023. UNWRA the UN relief & works agency confirms the vast majority of the dead are believed to be Palestinian civilians with an estimated 40 per cent being children, including newborns, infants and toddlers.
These deaths are now occurring in both the north and south of Gaza as Israel conducts its ground war.
"There is no safe place to go in the Gaza Strip"
[Palestinian Health Ministry, 9 December 2023]
The International Criminal Court (ICC) continues to investigate alleged crimes committed "in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, since June 13, 2014". The Israeli Likud Government has refused the ICC and foreign media access to the Gaza Strip since 8 October 2023.
According to the World Health Organisation the Gaza Strip remains cut off from food, water, electricity, civilian telecommunications and health care, with little humanitarian aid allowed to pass though Israeli checkpoints.
The War on Gaza has entered its 10th week, nothing changes and Australia refuses to acknowledge those humanitarian obligations it espoused in 1948.
A recounting in video clips:
9 December 2023
"And we will tell you, what we tell you every day.
We are coming to Gaza.
We are coming to Lebanon.
We will come to Iran.
We will come to everywhere.
Can you imagine how many we are going to kill?
How many of you, we are going to kill? On each of the 1,300 people you killed, kidnapped.
You did not see these numbers in all Arab history. i assure you, that it will come, in case you are confused.
I assure you it will come, Numbers that you did not imagine, that it is possible, it is possible to get them.
And we are ready to enter International Unity.
We are prepared to fight United States and the entire world.
How long it will take untill all of you, including all your supporters go up to meet Allah? We will kill, it will be clear. This is the sentiments.
So wait in the social media. Do a free palestine. Do all your crying. We will destroy you.
Far-right Israeli member of Knesset Zvika Fogel's disturbing response to Channel 4 Foreign Correspondent, Secunder Kermani, on how the new Israeli government intends to de-escalate the tension between Israelis and Palestinians in Israel and the occupied West Bank moving forward.
