Israeli PM should stand war crimes trial at ICC: Spanish minister
A rescue worker carries the body of a child recovered from under the rubble of a house destroyed by Israeli strikes in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip Oct. 16, 2023. (Reuters Photo)
The acting social rights minister in Spain harshly criticized Israel’s human rights violations and collective punishment of civilians in Gaza, as she suggested that the country’s partners should bring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes.
Ione Belarra shared a video accusing the European Union and the U.S. of “being complicit in Israel’s war crimes.”
She called for actions to denounce Israel before the ICC and deplored the ongoing “planned genocide” in the Gaza Strip.
Ten days into the conflict with the Palestinian group Hamas, Israeli bombardment and blockade of the Gaza Strip has continued, with over 1 million people – almost half the total population of Gaza – having been displaced.
Gaza is experiencing a dire humanitarian crisis with no electricity while water, food, fuel and medical supplies are running out, as civilians flee to the south following Israeli warning to evacuate northern areas.
The fighting began when Hamas on Oct. 7 initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltration into Israel via land, sea and air. It said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and increased settler violence.
The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.
The number of Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza has risen to 2,750, including 750 children. In Israel, 1,300 have been killed.