You can also listen to the article in audio version.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may soon find himself in the same position as Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. While Putin faces an international arrest warrant over the abduction of Ukrainian children, Netanyahu is at risk if a court finds him responsible for obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and for continuing to overreact to the October 7 Hamas terror attack. After all, the leaders of Hamas are threatened with an international arrest warrant, The New York Times reported.
Israelis’ concerns about the possible issuance of an arrest warrant were shared with the American newspaper by two representatives of the Jewish state, who did not wish to be named. The Israelis did not specify the basis of their fears that the court was preparing such a move. But another unnamed Israeli source told the Times of Israel that The Hague is focused on the “deliberate starvation of Palestinians in Gaza.” According to this source, the Israelis are making efforts on all fronts to prevent the issuance of arrest warrants.
As part of this campaign, Israeli army spokesman Nadal Shoshani offered an unusually Shabbat briefing to foreign journalists to inform them of Israel’s cooperation in the construction of a temporary humanitarian pier off the shores of Gaza. The Americans are also supposed to lobby behind the scenes against the issuance of the arrest warrant, Israeli media write.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) itself has not yet commented on this possibility, only admitting that it is investigating some incidents in the war in Gaza. So it is not the same court that investigates genocide – that is handled by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Gaza on the brink of famine
In the Gaza Strip, what the world last remembers from South Sudan or Somalia could happen within a few weeks. Famine may threaten up to 1.1 million people, according to the UN. But Palestinians, including children, are already dying of hunger.
As The New York Times writes, the arrest warrants would be seen in most of the world as a major moral rebuke to Israel, which has been waging war in Gaza for months. US President Joe Biden also described its intensity as “excessive”.
Netanyahu himself has already responded to reports of a possible international arrest warrant. He said on social media on Friday that any ICC intervention “would set a dangerous precedent that threatens the soldiers and officials of all democracies fighting savage terrorism and wanton aggression.”
Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Chief of the Army
According to Israeli commentator Ben Caspit, who writes for Walla News among others, Netanyahu is now “terrified and under unusual stress” about the possible arrest warrant and has been making non-stop phone calls in recent days in an attempt to prevent it. Israel’s international reputation would suffer enormously and Netanyahu would find himself in the same position as, for example, Putin or the deposed Sudanese dictator Umar Bashir.
Haaretz analyst Amos Harel said the ICC could issue an arrest warrant as early as this week. Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi should be specifically covered.
5:59 on the situation in Gaza and Israel
- What a dispute is going on in Israel about the next direction of the war in the Gaza Strip, launched after the October attacks by Hamas.
- That the Israeli offensive on Rafah may not be as close as widely believed.
- Why the Israeli public is often not very interested in the humanitarian situation of the Palestinians.
Based in The Hague, the ICC is the only permanent international court in the world with jurisdiction to prosecute those accused of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. However, the court has no means to enforce its decisions. It thus relies on its 124 member states, which include most European countries. However, Israel does not recognize its jurisdiction, nor does Russia or the United States.
The current war in Gaza began with an attack by Hamas on Israeli military bases and communities near the Gaza Strip. Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and dragged another 253 to Gaza. In the subsequent retaliation by Israel, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health – although it is controlled by Hamas, but its figures are mostly confirmed by international organizations and some sources from the Israeli army – 34 thousand people were killed. The Israeli army claims to have killed 13,000 terrorists in Gaza, including 1,000 of those it killed on Israeli soil during the attack itself and immediately after.
Psychological help for children in Gaza
Non-profit A person in need supported the organization War Child, which provides psychological first aid to children and families affected by the conflict.
Aid is provided in schools in Rafah. First 369 children completed psychological sessions1876 children participated in leisure activities.
People in Need opened a humanitarian fund to help the victims of the war in Gaza. Donors can donate to account number 62621515/0300. Donations will be used for psychosocial and humanitarian aid on the ground.
261 Israeli soldiers have been killed so far in the Israeli invasion of Gaza, the war has displaced most of the Gaza Strip’s 2.3 million people and created a humanitarian crisis.
In addition to international courts, Netanyahu has problems with justice in his own country. An Israeli court accused him in three different cases of corruption, fraud and breach of trust. But Netanyahu remains in office despite the massive protests of the citizens, which is helped by the continuation of the war, which delays the verdict.
