The Worldwide Legal Court docket issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former protection minister and Hamas officers, accusing them of warfare crimes and crimes in opposition to humanity. The announcement got here as well being officers within the Gaza Strip stated the dying toll from the 13-month-old warfare between Israel and Hamas has surpassed 44,000.
Netanyahu condemned the arrest warrant in opposition to him, saying Israel “rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions.” In a press release launched by his workplace, he stated: “There may be nothing extra simply than the warfare that Israel has been waging in Gaza.”
On Thursday, the Well being Ministry in Gaza stated 44,056 folks have been killed and 104,268 wounded for the reason that begin of the warfare. It has stated the actual toll is greater as a result of 1000’s of our bodies are buried underneath rubble or in areas that medics can’t entry.
The Gaza Well being Ministry doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants in its rely, however it has stated that greater than half of the fatalities are girls and kids. The Israeli army says it has killed over 17,000 militants, with out offering proof.
Israel launched its warfare in opposition to Hamas after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 folks, largely civilians, and abducting one other 250. Round 100 hostages are nonetheless inside Gaza, at the very least a 3rd of whom are believed to be lifeless. A lot of the relaxation have been launched throughout a cease-fire final yr.
The Israeli offensive has brought about heavy destruction throughout extensive areas of the coastal territory and displaced 90% of Gaza’s inhabitants of two.3 million folks.
Israel has additionally launched airstrikes in opposition to Lebanon after the Hezbollah militant group started firing rockets, drones and missiles into Israel the day after Hamas’ assault final October. A full-blown warfare erupted in September after practically a yr of lower-level battle.
Greater than 3,500 folks have been killed in Lebanon, based on the nation’s Well being Ministry, and over 1 million folks have been displaced. It isn’t identified what number of of these killed have been Hezbollah fighters and what number of have been civilians.
On the Israeli facet, Hezbollah’s aerial assaults have killed greater than 70 folks and pushed some 60,000 from their houses.
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JERUSALEM — The Israeli army has launched an investigation into the dying of a 70-year-old Israeli man who entered Lebanon with Israeli forces and was killed in a Hezbollah ambush.
Investigators are attempting to find out, amongst different issues, who allowed Zeev Erlich into the fight zone with the forces and why he was permitted to enter.
In response to Israeli media reviews, Erlich was not on energetic responsibility when he was shot, however was sporting a army uniform and had a weapon. The military stated he was a reservist with the rank of main and recognized him as a “fallen soldier” when it introduced his dying.
Erlich was a well known West Financial institution settler and researcher of Jewish historical past. Media reviews stated Erlich was permitted to enter Lebanon to discover an area archaeological website.
The military stated a 20-year-old soldier was killed in the identical incident, whereas an officer was badly wounded.
The military introduced Thursday that the chief of employees, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, has appointed a group of consultants “to look at and strengthen operational self-discipline and army tradition” following the incident.
It stated its commander for northern Israel, Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin, would launch a separate “command inquiry,” whereas Israeli army police conduct a separate probe. Such investigations can result in felony expenses.
BEIRUT — At the least 29 folks have been killed Thursday in Israeli strikes on totally different cities and villages throughout Lebanon, based on Lebanon’s Well being Ministry and state-run media.
In jap Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes killed 26 folks in six totally different cities in Baalbek province, the well being ministry and the Nationwide Information Company stated.
In Tyre province, southern Lebanon, three folks have been killed in an Israeli strike, the well being ministry stated.
The well being ministry Wednesday stated that over 3,550 folks have been killed within the 13-month warfare between Hezbollah and Israel, the bulk following Israel’s escalation in late September.
The European Union’s overseas coverage chief has underlined that the arrest warrants issued by the Worldwide Legal Court docket in opposition to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas officers are a authorized and never political matter, and that they’re binding on all 27 EU member international locations and different signatories to the ICC to implement.
“The tragedy in Gaza has to cease,” Josep Borrell informed reporters throughout a go to to Jordan. “It isn’t a political determination. It’s the determination of a global courtroom of justice, and the choice of the courtroom must be revered, and carried out.”
“This determination is a binding determination on all state events of the courtroom, which embrace all members of the European Union,” he added.
ANKARA — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling partyhas welcomed the choice by the Worldwide Legal Court docket to concern arrest warrants in opposition to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamn Netanyahu and former Protection Minister Yoav Gallant, calling it a judgement made for the sake of “humanity.”
Omer Celik, spokesman for the Erdogan’s social gathering, stated on the social media platform X that Netanyahu and Gallant would “finally be held accountable for genocide.” Celik additionally criticised Israeli officers who described the ICC determination as antisemitic.
Turkey is among the many most vocal critics of Israel’s army actions in Gaza and has submitted a proper request to hitch a genocide case that South Africa has filed in opposition to Israel on the U.N.’s Worldwide Court docket of Justice.
Dutch overseas minister Caspar Veldkamp, whose nation hosts the Worldwide Legal Court docket, has confirmed The Netherlands would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he arrived on Dutch soil.
“The road from the federal government is obvious. We’re obliged to cooperate with the ICC … we abide 100% by the Rome Statute,” he stated in response to a query in parliament Thursday.
Different European officers have been extra cautious.
In France, a spokesman for the International Ministry stated he supported the Worldwide Legal Court docket’s prosecutor however declined to remark when requested extra particularly if France would arrest Netanyahu if he have been to step on French soil.
“Immediately, combating impunity is our precedence. We ratified the ICC Statute in 2000 and have persistently supported the courtroom’s actions. Our response will align with these rules,” Christophe Lemoine informed reporters at a press convention.
Lemoine added that the warrants have been “a posh authorized concern … It’s a state of affairs that requires a number of authorized precautions.”
In Italy, the overseas and justice ministries didn’t instantly reply to emails in search of remark about whether or not Italy, an ICC member which hosted the Rome convention that gave delivery to the courtroom, would honor the arrest warrant.
Premier Giorgia Meloni hosted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in March 2023 and has strongly supported Israel since Oct. 7, whereas offering humanitarian support for Palestinians in Gaza.
JERUSALEM — Israel’s largely ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, has known as the Worldwide Legal Court docket’s arrest warrants in opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “a darkish day for justice. A darkish day for humanity.”
In a publish on X, he stated the worldwide courtroom “has chosen the facet of terror and evil over democracy and freedom, and turned the very system of justice right into a human defend for Hamas’ crimes in opposition to humanity.”
Israel Katz, Israel’s new protection minister, stated the choice was “an ethical shame, completely tainted by antisemitism, and drags the worldwide judicial system to an unprecedented low.” He stated it “serves Iran, the top of the snake, and its proxies.”
Benny Gantz, a retired normal and political rival to Netanyahu, additionally condemned the choice, saying it confirmed “ethical blindness” and was a “shameful stain of historic proportion that can by no means be forgotten.”
Hamas has welcomed the choice by the Worldwide Legal Court docket to concern warrants in opposition to Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu and his former protection minister Yoav Gallant, calling it an “essential and historic precedent” after what it stated was many years of injustice by the hands of a “fascist occupation.”
The assertion didn’t check with the warrants issued for the militant group’s personal leaders.
Hamas known as on all nations to “cooperate with the courtroom in bringing the Zionist warfare criminals, Netanyahu and Gallant, to justice, and to work instantly to cease the crimes of genocide in opposition to harmless civilians within the Gaza Strip.”
DEIR AL-BALAH, The Gaza Strip — Bakeries have reopened within the central Gaza Strip after being closed for a number of days due to flour shortages.
The shortages seem to have been linked to the looting of practically 100 truckloads of support by armed males in southern Gaza final weekend.
Related Press footage confirmed a crowd of lots of pushing and shouting outdoors a bakery within the central metropolis of Deir al-Balah on Thursday. The day earlier than the reopening, the value of a bag of 15 loaves of pita bread had climbed above $13.
“In my home, there may be not a morsel of bread, and the youngsters are hungry,” stated Sultan Abu Sultan, who was displaced from northern Gaza in the course of the warfare.
The quantity of support coming into Gaza plunged in October as Israel launched a serious offensive within the remoted north, the place consultants say famine could also be underway.
Starvation is widespread throughout the territory, even in central Gaza the place support teams have extra entry. Humanitarian organizations say Israeli restrictions, ongoing combating and the breakdown of legislation and order make it troublesome to ship help.
Israel’s offensive, launched after Hamas’ October 2023 assault, has displaced round 90% of Gaza’s inhabitants of two.3 million folks. Tons of of 1000’s are crammed into tent camps with little in the best way of public providers and are reliant on worldwide meals support.
NICOSIA — The president of Cyprus says the European Union should play a much bigger function within the Center East as it might probably now not stand by as an observer.
President Nikos Christodoulides stated the 27-member bloc wants to ascertain nearer ties with international locations that bolster regional stability like Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf states.
“The battle within the Center East is going down on the EU’s doorstep, in an space of significant curiosity to the bloc’s pursuits, the place any escalation or regional spillover may have vital penalties on its safety and stability,” Christodoulides informed an Economist convention within the Cypriot capital.
Christodoulides stated EU member Cyprus for years has tried to get this message throughout to Brussels. The island nation earlier this yr was the staging floor for a maritime hall delivering some 20,000 tons of humanitarian support to Gaza.
The EU is wracked by members’ divisions over how peace ought to come about within the Center East
THE HAGUE — The Worldwide Legal Court docket issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former protection minister and Hamas officers, accusing them of warfare crimes and crimes in opposition to humanity over the warfare in Gaza and the October 2023 assaults that triggered Israel’s offensive within the Palestinian territory.
The choice turns Netanyahu and the others into internationally wished suspects and is prone to additional isolate them and complicate efforts to barter a cease-fire to finish the 13-month battle.
However its sensible implications may very well be restricted since Israel and its main ally, america, aren’t members of the courtroom and several other of the Hamas officers have been subsequently killed within the battle.
Netanyahu and different Israeli leaders have beforehand condemned ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan’s request for the warrants as disgraceful and antisemitic. U.S. President Joe Biden additionally blasted the prosecutor and expressed assist for Israel’s proper to defend itself in opposition to Hamas. Hamas additionally slammed the request.
The dying toll within the Gaza Strip from the 13-month-old warfare between Israel and Hamas has surpassed 44,000, native well being officers stated Thursday.
The Gaza Well being Ministry doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants in its rely, however it has stated that greater than half of the fatalities are girls and kids. The Israeli army says it has killed over 17,000 militants, with out offering proof.
The Well being Ministry stated 44,056 folks have been killed and 104,268 wounded for the reason that begin of the warfare. It has stated the actual toll is greater as a result of 1000’s of our bodies are buried underneath rubble or in areas that medics can’t entry.
The warfare started when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 folks, largely civilians, and abducting one other 250. Round 100 hostages are nonetheless inside Gaza, at the very least a 3rd of whom are believed to be lifeless. A lot of the relaxation have been launched throughout a cease-fire final yr.
Round 90% of Gaza’s inhabitants of two.3 million folks have been displaced, typically a number of occasions, and lots of of 1000’s reside in squalid tent camps with little meals, water or primary providers.
Israel says it tries to keep away from harming civilians and blames their deaths on Hamas as a result of the militants function in residential areas, the place they’ve constructed tunnels, rocket launchers and different army infrastructure.
JERUSALEM — A rocket fired from Lebanon killed a person and wounded two others in northern Israel on Thursday, based on the Magen David Adom rescue service.
The service stated paramedics discovered the physique of the person in his 30s close to a playground within the city of Nahariya, close to the border with Lebanon, after a rocket assault on Thursday.
Israel in the meantime struck targets in southern Lebanon and several other buildings south of Beirut, the Lebanese capital, after warning folks to evacuate.
