BIBI BLASTS ICC ARREST THREAT

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has blasted a bid for his arrest for war crimes. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court wants him detained, along with his defence minister, Yoav Gallant, for a list of alleged atrocities. They include the ‘starvation of civilians’ and ‘intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population’. Netanyahu accused the ICC of creating ‘a twisted and false moral equivalence’ with H*mas.

Karim Khan also filed applications for the arrest of three H*mas leaders, accusing them of murder, taking hostages, rape and other acts of sexual violence. The resistance group also hit back, saying Khan was trying to ‘equate the victim with the executioner.’

US President Joe Biden doubled down on support for Tel Aviv, saying the allegations against its ally were ‘outrageous’.

In terms of what happens next, ICC pre-trial judges will now weigh up if there’s enough evidence to issue arrest warrants. It could take months before a decision is made.

Meanwhile, the death toll in Gaza has hit 35,562 - mostly women and children- since the October 7 escalation in the 76-year occupation of Palestine by Israel. Over 7,000 are missing, believed to be buried under the rubble. Ninety-seven journalists and 224 humanitarian aid workers, including 179 staff from UN relief agency UNRWA, have also been killed.

Israel’s 17-year blockade of the strip has caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, where the entire population is starving, and one in three children is severely malnourished. On Friday, a UN agency report said only 300 aid trucks had entered Gaza since Israel began its recent assault on Rafah. Its population of 1.3-million desperate Palestinians are trapped on the border with Egypt.

Whatever Netanyahu says, he cannot hide the scale of devastation he’s unleashed.