International Criminal Court Archives - Page 3 of 9

Phase II of Gaza Ceasefire About to Start on ‘Positive’ Note

CrossFireArabia
February 18, 2025

Qatar reported a “positive atmosphere” on Tuesday to start negotiations for the second phase of a Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

“There is a positive atmosphere that may encourage the start of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari told a press conference in Doha according to Anadolu.

He, however, noted that the talks have not started yet, expressing hope that the negotiations will start “soon.”

Ansari said the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza was “insufficient,” stressing that it “must not turn into a bargaining chip.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said early Tuesday that the second-phase negotiations of the Gaza deal will start this week.

Sa’ar said that Israel will demand a “full demilitarization” of the Gaza Strip, according to The Jerusalem Post newspaper.

The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal has been in place since Jan. 19, pausing Israel’s genocidal war that has killed nearly 48,300 Palestinians and left the enclave in ruins.

Under the agreement, 19 Israeli captives and five Thai workers have so far been released in exchange for 1,135 Palestinian prisoners.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

News

Why is Halevi Visiting Washington Weeks Before He Steps Down?

CrossFireArabia
February 16, 2025

Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi is set to travel to Washington on Sunday for talks with US military officials, the army said.

A military statement said Halevi will meet with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), and other senior officials to discuss key strategic and operational issues.

Halevi “will take the opportunity to express his gratitude to his counterparts for their support, commitment, and personal ties,” the statement said.

The three-day visit comes a few weeks before Halevi steps down.

Last month, the army chief of staff said he would resign as of March 6.

The visit comes as a ceasefire agreement took effect in Gaza on Jan. 19, halting Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed more than 48,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave according to Anadolu.

News

‘All Hell Won’t Be Breaking Loose After All’

CrossFireArabia
February 13, 2025

The crisis arising from a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas seems to be heading toward a resolution, Israeli media reported late Wednesday.

“After Hamas announced that it would suspend the release of prisoners, the crisis that erupted in the prisoner swap agreement appears to be on the path to being resolved,” said Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

The report also said that three Israeli prisoners are expected to be released on Saturday.

An unnamed Israeli official was quoted as saying that both Israel and Hamas want the first phase of the agreement to succeed and Hamas has sent messages indicating its willingness to continue the deal.

The official also said US President Donald Trump’s threat that “all hell is going to break out” if Hamas does not release the remaining hostages by noon Saturday “put Israel in a dilemma.”

Israel’s Channel 12 also reported that international organizations are expected to deliver urgently needed fuel and medical supplies to Gaza on Thursday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Tuesday to end the Gaza ceasefire deal if Hamas failed to release hostages by Saturday at noon.

The threat came a day after Hamas said that it would delay the next hostage release in response to Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement.

Palestinian authorities have listed a series of Israeli violations of the deal, including the shooting of civilians and denying access to relief materials, including tents for displaced civilians in Gaza.

Under the first phase of the ceasefire deal, 33 Israeli hostages are to be released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

News

Amnesty Slams White House For Hosting ‘War Criminal’ Netanyahu

CrossFireArabia
February 5, 2025

Amnesty International criticized the US on Tuesday for hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with his army’s genocidal war in Gaza.

“The Biden administration flouted any efforts at international justice for Palestine. Now, by not arresting Netanyahu or subjecting him to US investigations, President Trump is doubling down, welcoming him as the first foreign leader to visit the White House since the inauguration,” said the UK-based organization in a statement on X.

The first six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement took hold in Gaza on Jan. 19, halting Israel’s war that killed more than 47,500 people and left the enclave in ruins according to Anadolu.

The ICC issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

Amnesty emphasized that the US has a legal obligation under the Geneva Conventions to prosecute or extradite individuals accused of war crimes. “There must be no ‘safe haven’ for individuals alleged to have committed war crimes,” the statement read.

The human rights group also condemned the US for supplying weapons used in Israel’s deadly offensive in Gaza, calling it a violation of the obligation to prevent genocide.

Amnesty said compliance with ICC arrest warrants is “crucial” to address Israel’s actions in Gaza and its treatment of Palestinians and to hold those responsible for Israel’s “unlawful occupation and system of apartheid.”

Netanyahu’s visit to the White House, the first by a foreign leader since Donald Trump’s inauguration, comes amid ongoing violence in Gaza and the West Bank. The two leaders are expected to discuss the Gaza conflict, hostages held by Hamas, and regional tensions involving Iran and Lebanon.

News

IDF Kills Israeli Contractor by ‘Accident’

CrossFireArabia
January 29, 2025

The Israeli army “accidentally” killed an Israeli worker on Tuesday from a construction company in the central Gaza Strip, according to media reports.

“Earlier today a worker from a construction company carrying out engineering tasks for the Israeli army, commissioned by the Ministry of Defense, was killed in central Gaza,” the army said in a statement.

“A military police investigation has been opened into the incident under the direction of the military prosecution,” it added without providing details about the circumstances of the death.

The Israel Hayom newspaper identified the victim as 38-year-old Jacob Avitan.

Channel 12 cited initial investigations that suggested Avitan was killed in an operational accident, where he was shot due to a misidentification by Israeli forces.

⚡️ Hebrew sources:

In Gaza, Kobi Avitan, an Israeli army contractor, was killed by Israeli forces in Netzarim area after it was mistaken for a Hamas fighter. pic.twitter.com/6Qqd5tvwAx
— Warfare Analysis (@warfareanalysis) January 28, 2025

The report said he was shot by soldiers while working in the Nitzarim Corridor in central Gaza.

The Israeli military withdrew from most of the Nitzarim Corridor on Monday, allowing more than 300,000 displaced civilians to return to northern Gaza under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Israel.

The first six-week phase of the truce took effect Jan. 19, suspending Israel’s genocidal war that has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

The Israeli onslaught has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave as reported in Anadolu.