As ICJ rules on Rafah offensive, Tel Aviv has vowed ‘no power on Earth will stop Israel from protecting its citizens’
Rulings by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the World Court, are final and binding, but have been ignored in the past. The court has no enforcement powers.
Spain, Ireland and Norway move to recognise Palestine seen as warning shot to Israel to agree to resolve Gaza crisis
Diplomatic pressure on Israel has grown as the battle with Hamas stretches into its eighth month. The UN General Assembly voted by a significant margin on May 11 to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine in a sign of growing international support for a vote on full voting membership. The Palestinian Authority currently has observer status. The leaders of Spain, Ireland, Malta and Slovenia said in March they were considering recognising a Palestinian state as “a positive contribution” toward ending the war.
More EU countries recognise independent Palestinian state as anchor of lasting ME peace
European countries have approached the issue differently. Some, like Sweden, recognised a Palestinian state a decade ago, while France is not planning to do so unless it can be an effective tool to make progress towards peace.
Gaza genocide: ICC chief prosecutor puts his office back on collision course with America
Just months after being appointed to a nine-year term in The Hague, Khan shifted the ICC’s investigation in Afghanistan away from US forces to focus on the alleged crimes of the Taliban and local ISIS militants. The move drew criticism from human rights organisations and was seen by some as an attempt to win over Washington.
It’s not all gloom in Middle East as some Iranians are celebrating President Raisi’s death
For opponents of Iran’s clerical rulers at home and in exile, Raisi has been a hate figure since the 1980s when he was blamed for playing a leading role as a jurist in the execution of dissidents. Iran has never acknowledged that mass executions took place; amnesty International says 5,000 Iranians, possibly more, were executed in the first decade after the revolution.
Expert: Iran faces acute spare parts shortage and relies on black market to keep its aircraft in air
President Raisi was seen as a protégé to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a potential successor for his position within the country’s Shiite theocracy. Under the Iranian constitution, if a president dies, the country’s first vice president – in this case, Mohammad Mokhber – would become president.
Explainer: Why ICC prosecutor’s office is zeroing in on Israeli PM Netanyahu and Hamas leaders
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said in October last year the court had jurisdiction over any potential war crimes carried out by Hamas fighters in Israel and by Israelis in the Gaza Strip.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan applies for arrest warrants for Israeli PM Netanyahu, three Hamas leaders
Karim Khan said that he believes Netanyahu, his defence minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders – Yehia Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh – are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel.
Official: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister killed in helicopter crash
An Iranian official earlier said the helicopter carrying Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian was completely burned in the crash on Sunday.
Israel troops pound northern Gaza Strip as new cracks in Netanyahu coalition
At least 35,340 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since October 7, according to the enclave’s health ministry, while aid agencies have warned repeatedly of widespread hunger and dire shortages of fuel and medical supplies.
