Israel gives reasons for attacking Rafah; ICC issues arrest warrant for Israeli leader?

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) will in any case launch a military operation against the city of Rafah, RIA Novosti news agency quoted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying. Because if the city is not controlled, the military operation aimed at neutralizing the capabilities of the Hamas movement will not achieve its initial goals.

Chiến sự Israel-Hamas ngày 1/5/2024: Israel nêu lý do phải tấn công Rafah; ICC ra lệnh bắt lãnh đạo Israel?

Israel has announced that it will attack Rafah regardless of the outcome of the hostage release negotiations. Photo: Reuters

Accordingly, the ongoing hostage release negotiations will not affect the IDF's operational plan for Rafah.

“We will enter Rafah and destroy the Hamas battalions there, with or without an agreement, and to achieve absolute victory,” Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu stressed.

Israel’s prime minister has promised to inflict new “painful blows” on Hamas to secure the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, using both military and diplomatic means.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Hamas had received a generous offer from Israel for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and should respond to it as soon as possible. According to the US diplomat, special efforts are needed to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip soon.

The New York Times reported that the administration of US President Joe Biden is asking Israel to abandon military operations against Rafah, as there are other ways to control the Hamas leadership.

Speaking to the press, US House Speaker Johnson said that the arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was illegal and that the International Criminal Court (ICC) should target Hamas and pro-Iran groups.

"It is shameful that the ICC is reportedly planning to issue baseless and unlawful arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials," said US House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Instead of wrongly targeting Israel, the ICC should turn to Hamas and pro-Iran groups and prosecute them for committing horrific war crimes, Mr. Johnson said.

The war is putting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip at risk of famine. Photo: AP

"Such lawless action by the ICC would directly undermine the national security interests of the United States. If the Biden administration does not act to stop it, the ICC could create and wield unprecedented power to issue arrest warrants for American political leaders, diplomats, and military personnel, thereby endangering our country's sovereignty," the US House Speaker stated.

Many Israeli officials now believe that the ICC is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials and possibly Hamas leaders. According to the New York Times, Israeli officials could be charged with obstructing humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and violently responding to Hamas's raid on Israel.

Israel is working through diplomatic channels to prevent the ICC from issuing arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and senior military officials. The ICC could issue arrest warrants as early as this week, according to Israeli officials.

Currently, the ICC has neither confirmed nor denied the information and only announced that it is conducting an independent investigation into the situation in the State of Palestine and has no comment at this stage.

Neither Israel nor the United States recognizes the ICC's jurisdiction. However, arrest warrants could expose Israeli officials to the risk of arrest in ICC member states.

"The Biden administration must immediately and unequivocally demand that the ICC abandon its arrest warrants and the United States use every tool at its disposal to stop such horrific behavior," House Speaker Mike Johnson said.

Following Hamas’s raid on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, Tel Aviv responded with a large-scale offensive against the Gaza Strip. According to Palestinian health authorities, the fighting has so far killed 34,535 people and injured more than 77,700. Palestinians are suffering from severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine due to Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Source