Defying the United States threats, ministers from more than 30 nations have packed Bogotá’s San Carlos Palace to charge the Israeli regime with genocide over its October 2023-present brutal military assault against the Gaza Strip.
The dramatic display of international solidarity saw dozens of high-ranking officials from across the globe convene inside the stately palace on Tuesday, determined to hold the regime accountable for, what they unequivocally called, a “war of genocide.”
The two-day emergency summit, organized under the auspices of The Hague Group -- a coalition co-chaired by Colombia and South Africa -- had representatives, ranging from such countries as Algeria and Brazil to Pakistan and Spain, in attendance.
The participants described the drive as a coordinated effort to stop the Israeli atrocities.
Behind closed doors, ministers and envoys, meanwhile, engaged in intensive sessions aimed at drafting collective measures to pressure the regime -- steps expected to be unveiled by Wednesday’s closure.
“There is nothing to negotiate about,” insisted Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur for the occupied territories, who addressed officials during private talks.
“Israel needs to withdraw from Gaza totally and unconditionally. Then it owes huge reparations to Palestinians for what it has done.”
‘History in the making’
Albanese did not mince words on stage either, telling the press that the Bogotá gathering might well “go down as the moment in history that states finally stood up to do the right thing.”
She called the event “the most significant political development of the last 20 months,” underscoring the unprecedented breadth of the coalition.
The alliance was set up last year with backing from Progressive International, an organization founded in May 2020 to unite, organize, and mobilize progressive forces around the world.
Soon after the onset of the convention, the US attacked the surge in multilateral momentum against the regime, its most important regional ally, which it has been providing with unprecedented political, military, and intelligence support towards further brutalizing Palestinians.
The State Department issued a tirade, accusing The Hague Group of trying to “weaponize international law as a tool to advance radical anti-Western agendas” and warning that the US would “aggressively defend our interests, our military, and our allies.”
Just last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio slapped sanctions on Albanese, denouncing, what he termed, her “illegitimate and shameful efforts” to push for International Criminal Court action against the Israeli regime. “Albanese’s campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel will no longer be tolerated,” he fumed.
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/07/16/751281/Israel-Colombia-genocide
US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is preparing to leave the Trump administration after what a new report has described as months of tension with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, potentially triggering another change at the army’s top echelons.
According to the Friday report by The Wall Street Journal, Driscoll is expected to step down before the end of the year and could leave his post earlier. The newspaper cited people familiar with discussions over his departure.
The Journal reported that Driscoll and his family vacated the official residence assigned to the army secretary at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall this summer, a move that could indicate he was preparing to leave the position.
The reported departure would come at a time of continuing uncertainty at the top echelons of the army.
Hegseth abruptly removed Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George in April, while Trump has not yet nominated a permanent successo....more below
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The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warns the enemies that any act of aggression against the Islamic Republic will not go unanswered.
In a statement on Thursday, the IRGC issued a “stern warning” to the enemies after US forces launched strikes against the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas.
Following the US military attack on a point on the outskirts of Bandar Abbas Airport with aerial projectiles, the IRGC carried out new strikes targeting the US air base from which the attack originated in the wee hours of Thursday, it added.
“This response is a serious warning to the enemy that they should know the act of aggression will not go unanswered,” the IRGC emphasized.
The elite military force warned of a “more decisive” response if the enemy repeated any act of aggression.
It also said the responsibility for the consequences of any IRGC response lies with the aggressor.
The statement comes after the IRGC Navy on Thursday forced an American tanker to turn back. The tanker ...
