The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Monday requested an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Benjamin and Hamas terrorists. The Israeli army has found the bodies of Hamas hostages, including German Shani Louk. All developments here in the news ticker.
Tuesday, May 21, 12:40 a.m.: US President Joe Biden has rejected accusations against the Israeli leadership that they are committing genocide against Palestinians in the fight against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. “Contrary to the International Court of Justice’s allegations against Israel, this is not genocide,” Biden said Monday in the Rose Garden of the White House at a celebration of the achievements of American Jews in the United States. “We reject that. We stand with Israel.”
UN judges have made emergency decisions requiring Israel to do everything possible to prevent genocide and allow humanitarian aid. On Monday, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) also requested an arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Joav Galant. Arrest warrants were also requested against the leader of the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Jihia al-Sinwar, and other Hamas representatives.
Biden reiterated that the US government rejects the actions of the ICC chief prosecutor. There is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas, said the US President. Biden also emphasized: “My commitment to the security of the Jewish people, to the security of Israel and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is unwavering.” The US government continues to advocate for a two-state solution, security and lasting peace bring.
1:14 p.m.: The International Criminal Court has requested arrest warrants against Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Court of Justice, said this in an interview with “CNN” on Monday. The charges are related to the attacks on Israel on October 7th and the subsequent war in the Gaza Strip.
Khan also said that the International Criminal Court had also requested arrest warrants for Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and two other senior Hamas leaders – Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri and Ismail Haniyeh. A panel of judges from the Court of Justice is now examining the application for the issuance of the arrest warrants.
According to Khan, the charges against the Hamas terrorists include “extermination, murder, hostage-taking, rape and sexual assault in custody.” The charges against Netanyahu and Gallant include, among other things, “causing extermination, causing starvation as a method of war, including denial of humanitarian aid, deliberate attacks on civilians in conflict,” Khan said.
Monday, May 20, 3:44 a.m.: After talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the “potential” of a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Sullivan also called on Netanyahu to link the military operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to a “political strategy” for the future of the Palestinian territory, the White House said on Sunday.
Sullivan met the crown prince in the Saudi city of Dhahran on Saturday before traveling to Israel for talks with Netanyahu. Sullivan informed Netanyahu and his team “about these meetings and the opportunities that could now arise for Israel and the Palestinian people,” it said.
You can read more about the Iranian attack on Israel on the next page.