Human Rights Watch Daily Brief, 27 August 2014

An open-ended ceasefire between the Israelis and Palestinians held through the first day. The question now turns to issues of justice . Rights groups are urging Palestinian leaders to sign up to the International Criminal Court, which would then have jurisdiction for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by any party on or from Palestinian territory. 

Leading Egyptian human rights lawyer, Ahmed Seif el-Islam, passed away from natural causes today at age 63. 

Russian forces have invaded yet another area of eastern Ukraine, opening up a third front of fighting. The fighting takes place near the key Ukrainian port on the Sea of Azov. 

A new UN report accuses both the Syrian government and Islamist State (IS) militants of war crimes and crimes against humanity.  It says Syrian authorities attacked areas with the chemical agent chlorine gas eight times this year and has barraged civilian neighborhoods with deadly barrel bombs. It also accused the government of beating and sexually assaulting prisoners.