Israel-Palestine Escalation
Israel was hit by an unprecedented rocket attack from the Gaza Strip on October 7, with Hamas movement's troops infiltrating border areas. On October 8, the Israeli government announced that it had invoked Article 40 of the Basic Law, which means the country was officially in a state of war.

South Africa Expects ICC to Issue Arrest Warrant Against Israeli PM by December

© AFP 2024 ABIR SULTANIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv on October 28, 2023 amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv on October 28, 2023 amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 20.11.2023
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On November 6, South Africa announced the withdrawal of all its diplomats amid the ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza. On November 17, the African country joined Comoros, Djibouti, Bolivia and Bangladesh in referring the situation in Palestine and Israel to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
South African Cabinet expects that the ICC will issue a warrant of arrest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his senior officials in December, said Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.

"We expect now that other State parties have also added their voices for an end to the impunity by Israel and the significant levels of evidence available that international warrants of arrest will be issued by the time the conference of parties meets in mid-December in New York," said Ntshavheni as cited by media.

The minister said the world has seen the crimes committed by the Israeli leader and that she expects there will be consequences.
"Given that much of the global community is witnessing the commission of these crimes in real time, including statements of genocidal intent by many Israeli leaders, we expect that warrants of arrest for these leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, should be issued shortly," she stated.
Palestinians search for survivors of an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 16.11.2023
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According to her, If the ICC fails to take action, it would serve as evidence of the global absence of justice.
"Failure to do so will be indicative of a lack of will to act by the ICC and the strong signal to the total failure of the global system of good governance and justice and the need to establish a new system," Ntshavheni added.
The statement comes as the South African parliament is expected to vote Tuesday on a motion to close the Israeli embassy in Pretoria.
On October 7, Palestinian Hamas movement launched a surprise massive rocket attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip, breaching the border and kidnapping residents of neighboring Israeli communities. Israel retaliated by launching a widescale military operation and imposing a complete blockade on Gaza, cutting off water, food, and fuel supplies.
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