21

May

Israeli Attacks continue Despite ICC Arrest Warrant

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Today’s Edition
New Delhi, 21 May 2024

By Our Correspondent

Even as the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) chief prosecutor has sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders in connection with Israel-Palestine war going on for the last seven months, the horrific attacks of Israel on Jabalia in norther Gaza and Rafah in southern parts of the coastal strip of Palestine have intensified the crisis.

While the Palestinians continue to face the genocide launched by the Jewish state, the entire world, including the Arab nations, is turning a blind eye to the tragedy of Muslims. Dozens of Palestinians were killed on May 18 when Israel attacked deeper in both Jabalia and Rafah.

Article at a Glance

 

The International Criminal Court's (ICC) chief prosecutor has sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders over the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

The crisis has intensified as Israel attacks Jabalia in northern Gaza and Rafah in southern Palestine, killing dozens of Palestinians. ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has accused Netanyahu, Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders of war crimes in the Gaza Strip and Israel.

However, Israel is not a member of the ICC, so Netanyahu and his defense minister may not face prosecution. The conflict has led to the displacement of over 35,000 Palestinians, and the U.N. has warned that no place is safe for them in the territory. The U.S. has called for a ceasefire and a post-war plan, while Israel has announced that it will capture Rafah to destroy Hamas.

The Arab countries are putting pressure on the U.S. to establish a Palestinian state and recognize it in the U.N. The conflict has caused widespread destruction and displacement, and the international community is calling for an end to the violence.

ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan has held Netanyahu, Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders – Yehia Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh responsible for the war crimes in the Gaza Strip and Israel. Meanwhile, Israel’s War Cabinet Minister has strongly denounced ICC prosecutor’s decision to seek arrest warrant.

 

According to media report, even if the arrest warrants are issued, Netanyahu and his defence minister may not face prosecution because Israel is not a member of ICC. However, it will isolate Israel and prevent the two Israeli leaders from travelling abroad owing to the threat of them being arrested in another country.

 

Thick smoke rose over Rafah in southern Gaza bordering Egypt, where an escalating Israeli assault has sent hundreds of thousands of people fleeing from what was one of the few remaining places of refuge.
People were terrified and were trying to get away, as most of them were following the Israeli orders to move north toward the coast, but there were no safe routes or destinations.

In the narrow lanes of Jabalia, Israeli forces battled Hamas fighters in some of the fiercest engagements since they returned to the area a week ago. In the south, militants attacked tanks massing around Rafah.

Residents said Israeli armour had thrust as far as the market at the heart of Jabalia, the largest of Gaza’s eight historic refugee camps, and that bulldozers were demolishing homes and shops in the path of the advance.


Tanks and planes wiped out residential districts, markets, shops and restaurants. The situation in Rafah has worsened in recent weeks, due to the closure of two major aid crossings which disrupted the supply of medicines and fuel for hospital generators. The war on Gaza has pushed the enclave to the brink of famine, destroyed the healthcare system and critical infrastructure such as water supply networks, especially in crowded places like Rafah.

More than 35,300 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s indiscriminate attacks and invasion, beginning on October 7, 2023, to avenge the Hamas-led strike. Israel’s atrocities have been labelled as war crimes and genocide by several world leaders, civil rights groups and the United Nations agencies. The International Court of Justice has also directed Israel to stop the attacks on Gaza Strip in a case brought before it by South Africa and observed that Israel’s acts could fall under the U.N. Convention on Genocide.

The United States of America has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Gaza and asked its ally, Israel, to devise a post-war plan. Nearly 4.50 lakh Palestinians have been displaced from Rafah in recent days, and around 1 lakh from northern Gaza, according to the U.N. agencies, which have warned that no place is safe for Palestinians in the territory.

The talks between Israel and Hamas leaders for a truce and release of hostages have been stalled after several months of efforts involving the mediators from the U.S., Qatar and Egypt. Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Forces (IDS) has sent out an urgent warning that Palestinians in parts of Rafah must evacuate and shift to the “humanitarian zone” identified by it.

Al-Mawasi, a narrow strip of coastal territory located in southern Gaza, is where Israel has ordered approximately 1 lakh Palestinians to evacuate from Rafah. But there is insufficient water, medicine, food, hygiene products, shelter and electricity for such an influx in that region. According to the international observers, the Israeli military’s forced and unlawful evacuation order in Rafah could result in the deadliest phase of the ongoing conflict.

Hamas has demanded an end to Gaza’s siege and accused the U.S. of complicity with the Israeli policy of starvation of Palestinians and blockade of aid to the entire population. The aid agencies have repeatedly warned of widespread hunger and dire shortages of fuel and medical supplies. On the other hand, Israel has announced that it will capture Rafah to destroy Hamas and ensure its safety.


Hamas has affirmed that negotiations were the only way for Israel to retrieve alive the hostages, whom it had kidnapped during its attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. “The enemy will not get its prisoners except as lifeless corpses or through an honourable exchange deal for our people and our resistance,” Hamas declared in a statement, even as the talks on a ceasefire have been at an impasse.

Israeli tanks and warplanes have bombarded parts of Rafah, while the armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad said they fired anti-tank missiles and mortars at forces massing to the east, southeast and inside the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. UNRWA, the main U.N. aid agency for Palestinians, said more than 6.30 lakh people had fled Rafah since the offensive began on May 6.

In the Jenin refugee camp in occupied West Bank of Palestine, the latest attacks of Israel have injured several people, who are receiving treatment at hospitals. The Israeli forces and settlers have killed hundreds of Palestinians in West Bank since the Gaza war began in October 2023. According to UNRWA, about 23,600 residents of the camp were registered as refugees, as they are the people who were ethnically cleansed alongside the 1948 creation of the Israeli state, or their descendants.

Israel has illegally occupied the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 1967. The Jewish country has warned about intensification of its offensive on Rafah, despite international warnings over the safety of around 14 lakh Palestinians sheltering there. The U.S. has joined other major powers in cautioning Israel against a ground offensive in Rafah, which would leave Palestinians with nowhere else to go.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that the ground assault on Rafah was a critical part of the military’s goal in destroying Hamas and prevent any future attacks on Israel. The IDF has admitted that it is facing stiff resistance in other areas of Gaza where it previously said it controlled.

The Arab countries are putting pressure on the U.S. to achieve two objectives – establishing a Palestinian state and recognising it in the U.N. The continuation of war seems to be hindering these efforts, which could defuse tensions in Middle East and help usher in a period of prosperity. These efforts, along with the promises for financial and political support to Palestine, are being made mainly by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt.

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