Atrocity No. 454, 15 October 2025

The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
2 days ago
7 min read

Atrocity Alert: Sudan, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the UN Human Rights Council

Atrocity Alert is a weekly publication by the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect highlighting situations where populations are at risk of, or are enduring, mass atrocity crimes.

ICC Delivers Landmark Ruling as Atrocities Continue in Sudan

On 6 October Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) convicted Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, commonly known as “Ali Kushayb,” a senior leader of the pro-government Janjaweed militia, of 27 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Darfur, Sudan, between August 2003 and April 2004. The Trial Chamber concluded that Abd-Al-Rahman directly participated in or ordered these crimes, including murder, torture, persecution, attacks on civilians, pillaging and outrages upon personal dignity, often in coordination with Janjaweed and/or government forces. He was also found guilty of rape as both a war crime and a crime against humanity, along with other gender-based crimes. This historic ruling marks the first conviction in the Darfur situation and the first in a case referred to the Court by the UN Security Council (UNSC). The ruling also sets a precedent as the Court’s first conviction for gender-based persecution.

More than two decades after the crimes were committed, this landmark ruling underscores the enduring importance of accountability and the challenges of breaking entrenched cycles of impunity. ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan said, “The conviction of Mr. Abd-Al-Rahman is a crucial step towards closing the impunity gap in Darfur. It sends a resounding message to perpetrators of atrocities in Sudan, both past and present, that justice will prevail, and that they will be held accountable for inflicting unspeakable suffering on Darfuri civilians, men, women and children.”

Despite this significant step toward justice, atrocities continue unabated across Sudan. Since April 2023 populations are yet again enduring war crimes and crimes against humanity amid intense clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias. In Darfur, non-Arab communities continue to be targeted by the RSF in what may amount to acts of genocide.

Most recently, between 5 and 8 October at least 53 people were reportedly killed in a series of attacks carried out by the RSF, including on a mosque and the last operational hospital in El Fasher, North Darfur. From 10-11 October, RSF drone attacks struck an area where internally displaced people were sheltering in Daraja Oula neighborhood, killing at least 57 people. Against this backdrop of ongoing atrocities, last week the UN Human Rights Council renewed the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on Sudan. Together with the ICC’s conviction of Abd-Al-Rahman and the Court’s ongoing investigations in the Darfur situation, the FFM’s work reinforces the international community’s commitment to accountability and prevention of future atrocities.

While criminal accountability remains essential, the international community must urgently act to end the conflict, intensifying diplomatic pressure and demanding all parties comply with international law. The UNSC must consider a robust resolution with concrete measures to protect civilians. A comprehensive, inclusive political dialogue involving all stakeholders, including civil society and marginalized groups, is needed to address the root causes and lay the groundwork for lasting peace.

For More Detailed Analysis, See Our Sudan Populations at Risk Page

Israel Escalates Provocations at Islamic Holy Site in Occupied East Jerusalem

On 8 October – coinciding with the day Israel and Hamas agreed on the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal – Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir led over 1,000 Israeli ultranationalists in an incursion into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound/Haram al-Sharif in Occupied East Jerusalem. Speaking from the Islamic holy site under the protection of Israeli forces, Ben-Gvir called on the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, to “allow for a complete victory in Gaza.” The confrontational visit came one day after several hundred illegal Israeli settlers stormed the compound to assert Israeli presence. Arab and Muslim countries denounced Ben-Gvir’s actions, with Jordan warning of “the consequences of the continued provocative and illegal violations of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.”

For decades, Israeli settlers and politicians have used incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound as a deliberate provocation, disregarding the Status Quo agreement – originating from the 19th century – and the authority of the Waqf, the Jordanian-appointed custodian of the third holiest site in Islam. Palestinian worshippers have consistently faced restricted access, forced removals, arbitrary arrests and excessive use of force.

Ben-Gvir’s latest incursion is not an isolated event. Since joining Netanyahu’s government in 2022, he has participated in 11 incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. In 2024 alone, the Waqf reported that over 53,000 Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, reflecting an increase of over 18,000 percent since 2003, when 289 settlers entered the holy site.

Israeli incursions into the compound have repeatedly served as flashpoints for wider violence. Notably, in 2000 the second Intifada was sparked after then-Israeli opposition leader, Ariel Sharon, led a raid on the holy site with over 1,000 police officers, prompting Israeli forces to use excessive force against Palestinian protesters. More recently, Israeli forces injured at least 30 Palestinians in 2023, more than 150 in 2022 and over 1,000 in 2021 in violent raids during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

A recent report by an Israeli organization, the Ir Amim Association, found that the government has intensified its exploitation of Jewish holidays – such as last week’s observation of Sukkot– to increase settler presence at the Islamic holy site under the cover of the global focus on Gaza. Similarly, in late August reports emerged of ongoing illegal Israeli excavations under the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, part of a broader effort to erase and transform the site’s religious, historical and cultural identity.

Israel must respect the historic and legal status quo of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and Israeli officials must be held accountable for repeated violations of its sanctity. The international community must remain vigilant of how these provocations are deeply intertwined with a broader pattern of systemic oppression and large-scale violence against Palestinians and take action against Israel’s ongoing violations across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in East Jerusalem.

For More Detailed Analysis, See Our Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory Populations at Risk Page

Outcomes of the UN Human Rights Council's 60th Session

On 8 October the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) concluded its 60th session in Geneva. During the session, UN member states received updates from independent experts and engaged in discussions and negotiations on how to address ongoing atrocity crises around the world.

Opening the session on 8 September, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk highlighted imminent atrocity risks in Myanmar (Burma), the Central Sahel, Haiti, Nigeria, Syriaand the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, among others. Throughout the session, several HRC-mandated investigative mechanisms presented findings and updates on ongoing atrocity crises. In a report issued on 23 September, the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory found that Israel “is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza.” Meanwhile, independent investigative mechanisms on Venezuela and Nicaragua warned of ongoing crimes against humanity and the need for a more coordinated international response.

In a historic move on 6 October, the HRC adopted a resolution creating an independent investigative mechanism for Afghanistan. The mechanism is mandated, among other tasks, to investigate evidence of international crimes committed by all perpetrators, including the Taliban de facto authorities, former government officials, warlords, members of international forces, non-state armed groups and others. Amid the ongoing UN liquidity crisis, the creation of this new mechanism reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to atrocity prevention under challenging political and financial conditions. That same day, the HRC renewed the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan, which has played a critical role in documenting atrocities. The resolution reiterated Sudan’s “responsibility to protect its population from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.”

Under the Council’s “technical assistance and capacity building” agenda item, resolutions were also adopted for Somalia, the Central African Republic and Yemen. Additionally, the HRC renewed critical human rights monitoring mandates for Burundi and the Russian Federation. Two resolutions on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) were adopted by consensus, reflecting continuity and new momentum. One, regrettably, terminated the mandate of the International Team of Experts, though technical assistance will continue. The second requested the operationalization of the CoI on the DRC – an important step taken despite ongoing budgetary constraints.

Collectively, these actions underscore the HRC’s essential role as a pillar of the multilateral atrocity prevention architecture. The Council remains uniquely positioned to expose perpetrators, amplify the voices of victims and civil society and create space for demands for justice, accountability and protection. This role was further emphasized in a joint statement delivered on 16 September by the Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) during the Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. The statement highlighted the vital role victims and families of the missing have played in advancing innovative multilateral efforts.

To maximize the HRC’s impact and deliver meaningful protection for affected communities, UN member states must systematically implement the recommendations issued by HRC-mandated mechanisms. These recommendations must inform coherent and coordinated diplomatic, economic and security responses at the national, regional and multilateral levels – transforming monitoring and investigation of atrocity risks into decisive action to make the promise of R2P a reality for populations at risk.

For More Detailed Analysis on Country Situations, see our Populations at Risk Page

More from the Global Centre

Yesterday, 14 October, the UN General Assembly elected Angola, Chile, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, India, Iraq, Italy, Mauritius, Pakistan, Slovenia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Viet Nam to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2026-2028 term. Following these ‘clean slate’ elections, the Global Centre encourages all newly elected and existing Human Rights Council members to utilize the broad array of tools to advance early warning, prevention, accountability and protection.

Read Our Recommendations Here