Por Hira Humayun y Dana Karni, CNN
Un video que muestra al ministro israelí de Seguridad Nacional, el ultraderechista Itamar Ben Gvir, burlándose de activistas de la flotilla hacia Gaza detenidos, ha generado una contundente condena internacional, así como una inusual reprimenda pública por parte del primer ministro de Israel.
Dos videos difundidos por la oficina de Ben Gvir muestran a activistas que iban a bordo de una flotilla que buscaba entregar ayuda a Gaza siendo arrestados por agentes de policía, y a algunos se les ve inmovilizados en la posición de estrés en un espacio improvisado de detención en el puerto de Ashdod el miércoles.
En un video se ve a una mujer gritando en inglés: “Free Palestine!” antes de ser empujada al suelo, mientras se escucha a los agentes decirle: “silencio, silencio”.
“Buen trabajo”, dice Ben Gvir, y añade: “Bienvenidos a Israel. Nosotros somos los dueños aquí”.
Otro video muestra a decenas de personas con las manos sujetas detrás de la espalda mientras se arrodillan con la cabeza hacia el suelo.
“Vinieron con mucho orgullo, como grandes héroes. Mírenlos ahora. Miren, vean cómo se ven ahora. Ni héroes ni nada en absoluto. Partidarios del terrorismo”, dice Ben Gvir con la bandera israelí en la mano, señalando a los detenidos.
Los primeros barcos de la flotilla partieron de Barcelona el mes pasado, y los organizadores calificaron su acción como una “intervención civil en un momento de escalada de violencia y crisis humanitaria”.
Mientras los barcos avanzaban hacia Gaza, fuerzas israelíes lanzaron una serie de interceptaciones.
El portavoz de la flotilla, David Heap, dijo a CNN el miércoles que aproximadamente 60 de sus barcos habían sido interceptados y que más de 400 activistas habían sido detenidos.
Abogados de la organización israelí de derechos humanos Adalah pudieron ver a algunos de los detenidos en el puerto de Ashdod antes de que fueran trasladados a la prisión de Ketziot, en el desierto del Néguev, en el sur de Israel.
La condena internacional por los videos de los detenidos fue rápida.
La primera ministra de Italia, Georgia Meloni, vista por Israel como una de las líderes más afines dentro de la UE, estuvo entre las primeras en reaccionar, y describió el incidente como una violación “inaceptable” de la dignidad humana de los activistas.
Pedro Sánchez, presidente del Gobierno de España, un duro crítico de la mortal campaña de Israel en Gaza, dijo que las imágenes mostraban a Ben Gvir “humillando a las personas de la flotilla internacional”, y añadió: “No toleraremos que nadie maltrate a nuestros ciudadanos”. El líder español dijo que presionaría a la Unión Europea para sancionar a Ben Gvir, emulando la prohibición de España de permitir la entrada del ministro al país.
La canciller británica Yvette Cooper dijo que estaba “verdaderamente horrorizada” y añadió que el Gobierno británico estaba en contacto con las familias de los ciudadanos británicos implicados. El Reino Unido también ha exigido una explicación a las autoridades israelíes, dijo Cooper.
Canadá, Portugal e Italia anunciaron que convocarían a los representantes israelíes en sus respectivos países por el incidente, mientras que Francia, Irlanda y Turquía también se sumaron a la creciente condena.
En una clara señal de que Ben Gvir, un político conocido por sus provocaciones, había ido demasiado lejos para sus colegas de Gobierno, el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Israel, Gideon Saar, seguido por el primer ministro Benjamin Netanyahu, lo reprendió públicamente.
By Ray Sanchez, CNN
(CNN) — A New York woman was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years to life in prison for drowning her three young children in the ocean and leaving their wet, sand-covered bodies along the shoreline near their home in Coney Island.
Erin Merdy, 34, pleaded guilty in March to three counts of first-degree murder in the killings of her children – Zachary Merdy, 7; Liliana Stephens Merdy, 4; and Oliver Bondarev, 3 months old – on September 12, 2022, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement.
Merdy’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Zachary, Liliana and Oliver were innocent children whose lives were taken in the most heartbreaking and unthinkable way,” Gonzalez said in the statement.
“We sought the strongest possible accountability in this devastating case, and while nothing can bring these children back, this sentence ensures the defendant will be held responsible for taking their lives.”
Prosecutors said Merdy took the children to the beach about 12:37 a.m. that night nearly four years ago and drowned them. At about 1:25 a.m., she walked from the beach toward the apartment of the father of the youngest child and called family members. She was upset and would not answer questions about where the children were, according to the statement. The father and family members went to look for her and called 911.
At about 4:30 a.m. police found the children, unresponsive and wet, on the Coney Island shoreline, according to the statement. They were pronounced dead at Coney Island Hospital. Prosecutors said family members found Merdy wet and barefoot in nearby Brighton Beach. She told them the children were gone and she was sorry.
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CNN’s Mark Morales and Alaa Elassar contributed to this report.
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SANTA BARABRA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – A woman was transported with minor injuries after the truck she was driving was hit by a train off of Hollister Ranch Road Wednesday.
According to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, the woman was experiencing a medical emergency while driving before leaving the roadway and going down an embankment towards the railroad tracks in the 120 block of Hollister Ranch Road.
She was able to exit the truck on her own, climb up to the roadway to get help, and was transported via ambulance to Cottage Hospital with minor injuries detailed the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
Luckily, an approaching train operator noticed the truck and was able to slow the train to around ten miles per hour before making contact with the truck explained the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
First responders were called to the scene around 2:38 p.m. Wednesday added the local fire agency.
Of the over 40 people onboard the passenger train, no one was reported injured at the scene following the crash noted the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
The post Passenger train able to slow before hitting truck off Hollister Ranch Road Wednesday appeared first on News Channel 3-12.
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – A woman was transported with minor injuries after the truck she was driving was hit by a train off of Hollister Ranch Road Wednesday.
According to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, the woman was experiencing a medical emergency while driving before leaving the roadway and going down an embankment towards the railroad tracks in the 120 block of Hollister Ranch Road.
She was able to exit the truck on her own, climb up to the roadway to get help, and was transported via ambulance to Cottage Hospital with minor injuries detailed the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
Luckily, an approaching train operator noticed the truck and was able to slow the train to around ten miles per hour before making contact with the truck explained the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
First responders were called to the scene around 2:38 p.m. Wednesday added the local fire agency.
Of the over 40 people onboard the passenger train, no one was reported injured at the scene following the crash noted the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
The post Passenger train able to slow before hitting truck off Hollister Ranch Road Wednesday appeared first on News Channel 3-12.