ALBAWABA - A report by The Guardian revealed that the UK government will most likely drop challenging the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over war crimes allegations in Gaza.
The new Labour-led government is anticipated to halt efforts to obstruct an ICC debate on whether or not to issue an arrest warrant against Israeli PM Netanyahu over war crimes during the latest aggression on Gaza.
UK's latest Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, spoke to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, emphasizing his belief in the Palestinian undeniable right to a state. Starmer discussed with Abbas "the ongoing suffering and devastating loss of life" in Gaza.
Additionally, Starmer spoke to PM Netanyahu, where he stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire in the torn strip. He also voiced the importance of "to ensure the long-term conditions for a two-state solution were in place, including ensuring the Palestinian Authority had the financial means to operate effectively,".
In contradiction with what the former government had stated, the Labour government believed that the ICC has jurisdiction over Gaza, contrary to what Rishi Sunak's government said in a letter to the Hauge, where it had claimed the court did not have jurisdiction over Israeli nationals.
The court's pre-trial chamber had given the UK until July 12 to submit its entire claim, but it now looks highly unlikely that the new government will do so, eliminating the possibility of a delay in the ICC pre-trial chamber deciding on the arrest warrant requests.
In its legal challenge, the United Kingdom questioned whether the International Criminal Court could order the arrest of Israeli nationals.
According to the Foreign Office, Palestinian authorities have no authority over Israeli nationals under the Oslo Accords and hence cannot transfer jurisdiction to the ICC.
David Lammy, the UK's foreign secretary, said he would begin reviewing issues such as the future funding of the Palestinian Relief Works Agency (UNRWA), as well as the previous government's legal advice, which stated that there was no risk of UK arms sales being used by Israel in violation of international humanitarian law.
Al-Aqsa Flood operation against Israel
Hamas military group announced on Oct. 7 a military operation called "Al-Aqsa Flood" against Israel which is the biggest offensive in decades.
Palestinian fighters “infiltrated” Israel from the Gaza Strip and captured military bases and took hostages as photos and videos went viral online showing Hamas fighters on vehicles inside Israel and others paragliding into occupation territory.
In response, Israeli armed forces announced targeting Hamas positions inside the Gaza Strip. Thousands were killed, and dozens of thousands of others were injured in the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.
The latest statistics by the Ministry of Health in Gaza revealed that the death toll from Israeli brutal pounding on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has soared to 38,193+ people, with more than 87,903+ injuries.
Since then, approximately 85% of Gazans have been displaced, all of whom are suffering from severe food insecurity, and the healthcare system has collapsed. Hundreds of thousands of people lack shelter, and aid trucks are entering the area at a lower rate than before the conflict began.
