Israel strikes Gaza after ICC issues arrest warrants

JERUSALEM — 

Israel's subject said connected Friday it had killed 2 commanders progressive successful Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack, pressing its northbound Gaza violative a time aft the International Criminal Court issued apprehension warrants implicit the war.

With Israel besides warring Hamas state Hezbollah successful Lebanon, unrecorded AFPTV footage showed respective strikes aboriginal Friday connected Beirut's confederate suburbs, wherever the Iran-backed radical holds sway.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) connected Thursday said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his erstwhile defence curate Yoav Gallant whitethorn carnivore "criminal responsibility" for the warfare transgression of starvation arsenic a method of warfare and different crimes against humanity against Palestinians successful the besieged Gaza Strip.

The Hague-based court's determination drew mixed reactions from satellite leaders, with immoderate vowing to apprehension the Israelis if they entered their country's territory.

Other leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, person condemned the court's determination which Netanyahu dismissed arsenic "absurd" and "driven by anti-Semitic hatred of Israel."

Israel has likewise pushed backmost against accusations of genocide successful its warfare against Hamas, with a lawsuit brought earlier the International Court of Justice successful December and, much recently, a study issued by a U.N. peculiar committee past week.

Hamas and Hezbollah person been designated a violent enactment by the United States, Britain, European Union and others.

On the crushed successful Gaza, the subject said an aerial onslaught connected the territory's northbound killed 5 Hamas militants including 2 institution commanders "who participated successful the October 7 massacre" past year.

Medics said dozens were killed oregon missing aft an overnight Israeli raid connected Beit Lahia and adjacent Jabalia, which are among the targets of a sweeping Israeli battle connected northbound Gaza.

The civilian defence bureau was not instantly capable to supply an nonstop toll.

Biden vows support

Biden, successful a connection responding to the ICC's apprehension warrants, called them "outrageous," vowing to "always basal with Israel against threats to its security."

China, which similar Israel and the United States is not a subordinate of the ICC, urged the tribunal to "uphold an nonsubjective and conscionable position."

Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that Beijing "supports immoderate efforts... that are conducive to achieving fairness and justice."

The ICC besides issued an apprehension warrant for Hamas's subject main Mohammed Deif, accusing him of work for warfare crimes and crimes against humanity implicit the onslaught connected Israel that sparked the war, arsenic good arsenic "sexual and gender-based violence" against hostages.

Israel said it killed Deif successful July, but Hamas has not confirmed his death.

The Palestinian Authority and Hamas some welcomed the warrants -- though without mentioning Deif.

Iran, which backs Hamas, Hezbollah and different equipped groups successful the region, praised the apprehension warrants against the Israeli leaders.

"This means the extremity and governmental decease of the Zionist regime," said Revolutionary Guards main General Hossein Salami.

The ICC's determination theoretically limits the question of Netanyahu, arsenic immoderate of the court's 124 nationalist members would beryllium obliged to apprehension him connected their territory.

But connected Friday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said helium would invitation Netanyahu to sojourn and defy the "cynical" and "political" ICC warrant.

The Israeli premier minister, successful a video statement, said that "no outrageous anti-Israel determination volition forestall us... from continuing to support our state successful each way."

'Enough'

Vowing to halt Hamas from regrouping successful the already devastated northbound of the Gaza Strip, Israel launched a sweeping battle connected the country successful aboriginal October.

In Gaza City, 1 antheral who said helium took his cousins to infirmary aft a onslaught urged "the world... to enactment an end" to the war.

"We've had enough," said Belal, who lone gave his archetypal name.

"I've mislaid my full household -- 10 household members gone, and I'm the lone 1 left... All we privation is an extremity to this injustice we're living. We privation thing else."

At slightest 44,056 radical person been killed successful Gaza successful much than 13 months of war, astir of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-ruled territory's wellness ministry which the United Nations considers reliable.

It was triggered by the deadliest onslaught successful Israeli history, which resulted successful the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli authoritative figures.

In Lebanon, AFPTV footage showed plumes of fume rising implicit southbound Beirut aft the Israeli subject called for the evacuation of 3 locations, informing connected societal media of imminent attacks.

The subject aboriginal said successful a connection its "fighter jets completed a caller circular of strikes" connected Beirut's confederate suburbs.

The latest raids travel aggravated Israeli attacks connected southbound Beirut arsenic good arsenic different areas successful Lebanon's southbound and east, wherever Israel says it has been targeting Hezbollah militants.

More than 11 months of cross-border occurrence betwixt Israel and Hezbollah implicit the Gaza struggle escalated into all-out warfare successful September, with Israel conducting an extended bombing run and sending crushed troops into confederate Lebanon.

The Lebanese wellness ministry said astatine slightest 52 radical were killed connected Thursday successful Israeli strikes, including immoderate 40 dormant successful Lebanon's east, taking its wide decease toll since October 2023 to 3,583 people.