Hamas launches war on Israel

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kGe34UM-JmQ

[Jimbuna]

International court appeals panel orders judges to reconsider Israel's jurisdiction challenge

Appeals judges at the International Criminal Court on Thursday ordered a pretrial panel to reconsider an Israeli appeal against the court's jurisdiction over Gaza and the West Bank.

The decision comes amid ongoing litigation into Israel's assertion that the court did not have the legal authority to issue arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant.

The warrants allege that Netanyahu and Gallant are responsible for crimes against humanity in the Gaza war. Israel, which is not a member of the court and rejects its jurisdiction, strongly refutes the allegations.

Judges at The Hague-based court dismissed a request from Israel to suspend the warrants.

But in a legal victory for Israel, appeals judges said in their written decision that the pretrial panel “committed an error of law by failing to sufficiently address Israel’s argument that it was entitled to make a jurisdictional challenge” under the court's founding treaty, the Rome Statute.

It ordered the pretrial judges to make a “new ruling on the substance of Israel’s challenge to the jurisdiction of the Court.” The challenge was filed in September — before the warrants were issued — and rejected two months later. It was not immediately clear how long judges will take to issue a new ruling.

In a statement on X, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the arrest warrants were issued unlawfully and are “null and void.”

Israel has long argued that it does not have jurisdiction. The court, however, has accepted “The State of Palestine” as one of its 125 member nations.

"We said it from the start: The International Criminal Court in The Hague (ICC) doesn’t have, and never had, jurisdiction to issue arrest warrants against Israel’s Prime Minister and its former Minister of Defense. Israel is not a member of the ICC and is not party to the 'Rome Statute.'” Saar wrote.

The ICC prosecutor's office said in a written response that it was studying the decision and had no immediate comment.

When issuing the arrest warrants, judges said there was reason to believe Netanyahu and Gallant have used “starvation as a method of warfare” by restricting humanitarian aid and have intentionally targeted civilians in Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza — charges Israeli officials deny.

Along with the warrants for the Israeli officials, the court also issued a warrant for Mohammed Deif, head of Hamas’ armed wing, over the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that triggered Israel’s offensive in Gaza. It said it found reasonable grounds to believe Deif was involved in murder, rape, torture and the taking of hostages amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The warrant was withdrawn in February, after his death in an Israeli airstrike was confirmed.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...06182085&ei=11

[Jimbuna]

US Reaper drone losses mount in Yemen as campaign against Houthis intensifies

The US has lost seven MQ-9 Reaper drones over Yemen in under six weeks, it has emerged, with three reportedly shot down in the past week as Washington escalates its military campaign against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels.

The high-altitude, long-endurance aircraft — each costing around $30 million (€26 million) — have been downed in a costly offensive launched by President Donald Trump on 15 March.

According to unnamed defence officials, the drones were involved in both strike and surveillance missions when they were shot down by the Houthis, with the losses occurring both over land and at sea.

According to one official, hostile fire is likely the cause, though investigations are ongoing.

The US has conducted near-daily airstrikes on Houthi positions, with Central Command confirming that over 800 targets have been hit, including command centres, weapons storage facilities and air defence systems.

“These strikes have… killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders,” said Central Command spokesperson Dave Eastburn on Thursday.

The attacks by the Houthis underscore their growing ability to strike advanced US platforms. One defence official confirmed that drone losses occurred on 31 March and on 3, 9, 13, 18, 19 and 22 April.

Civilian casualties raise alarm

Alongside the drone losses, concerns are growing in Washington over the civilian toll of the intensified US strikes.

In a letter to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Democratic senators Chris Van Hollen, Elizabeth Warren and Tim Kaine questioned whether the administration was “abandoning the measures necessary to meet its obligations to reducing civilian harm”.

“Civilian casualties actually undermine the mission that the military has been sent in to do,” the senators wrote, citing reports that recent strikes at the Ras Isa oil terminal may have killed more than 70 civilians.

Yet despite the increasing scrutiny of the offensive, the US military continues to maintain an aggressive posture in the region. A naval presence has been assembled, including two aircraft carriers, the USS Harry S. Truman and USS Carl Vinson, and their associated strike groups.

The Truman is currently operating in the Red Sea, while the Vinson is positioned in the Gulf of Aden. Defence Secretary Hegseth is reportedly considering extending the Truman's deployment further.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...a85957e6&ei=42