DEVELOPING | Israel recovers bodies of three hostages in Gaza

Israel recovers bodies of three hostages in Gaza

Israeli forces on Thursday night recovered the bodies of three hostages from the Gaza Strip, chief military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said on Friday.

Hagari identified the three as Shani Louk, Amit Buskila and Yitzhak Gelernter, who he said "were murdered by Hamas while escaping the Nova music festival on Oct. 7 and their bodies were taken into Gaza".

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the military operation on Friday and reiterated a pledge to return all the hostages.

"We will bring back all our hostages, whether they are alive or dead," he said in a statement.

- Reuters

WHO says no medical supplies received in Gaza for 10 days

The World Health Organisation said Friday that it has received no medical supplies in the Gaza Strip for 10 days.

Israel's closure of the Rafah crossing into Gaza has caused "a difficult situation", WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said. "The last medical supplies that we got in Gaza was before May 6."

Israeli troops entered the city of Rafah on 7 May, and closed the Rafah crossing into Egypt that is crucial for humanitarian supplies.

With UN agencies warning of a growing risk of famine in Gaza, the Kerem Shalom and Erez crossings from Israel are also virtually shut down.

Jasarevic said the biggest concern was over fuel needed to keep clinics and hospitals running. Gaza's health facilities need up to 1.8 million litres of fuel a month to keep operating.

The spokesman said only 159 000 litres had entered Rafah since the border closure. "This is clearly not sufficient," he added, highlighting how only 13 out of 36 hospitals across the Palestinian territory were now "partially" operating.

"Hospitals still functioning are running out of fuel, and that puts so many lives at danger," said Jasarevic. "Current military operations in Rafah are putting countless lives at risk."T

- AFP

Moroccan jailed for life in UK for random murder over Gaza war

A Moroccan asylum seeker was on Friday sentenced to life in prison for randomly stabbing a British man to death in revenge for Israel's response to the 7 October attacks.

Ahmed Alid, 45, murdered "innocent" victim Terence Carney, 70, in the streets of the northeastern English town of Hartlepool, eight days after Hamas militants attacked Israel last October.

Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb told Alid he had "attacked and murdered... in a terrorist act", and said he would spend a minimum of 44 years behind bars.

She said he had "hoped to frighten the people of Britain and undermine the freedoms they enjoy" in actions "intended as revenge" for Israel's response to the Hamas attack.

Minutes before killing Carney, Alid had also attempted to murder his housemate, Christian convert Javed Nouri, by breaking into his bedroom and hacking at him while he slept.

Alid shouted "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greatest") during the attack at the government-approved asylum seekers' accommodation before fleeing into the street, still armed with a knife.

Alid admitted to police that Carney was "innocent" but justified killing him by saying Britain had created the "Zionist entity" of Israel and should make them leave, adding: "They killed children and I killed an old man."

- AFP

ICJ hearings: Israel claims SA distorts facts about Gaza, abuses law and ignores role of 'ally' Hamas

Israel accused South Africa on Friday of misrepresentation, distortion of facts, and misuse of legal procedures in response to South Africa’s recent application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). 

The ICJ had put it at a legal disadvantage, Israel argued, by adhering to South Africa’s timeline for the proceedings. 

Israel argued that the ceasefire South Africa is seeking is "unthinkable" and suggested that South Africa should instead engage with its "ally" Hamas.

That closes two days of remarkable hearings, during which South Africa demanded that the ICJ order Israel's military out of Gaza in explicit terms, and Israel accused South Africa of wildly distorting facts and abusing legal processes.

It is not clear exactly when the ICJ may rule on South Africa's request.

By its own timeline, it cannot do so until Monday afternoon at the earliest, but it has shown a remarkable sense of urgency, which suggests a decision not long after.

- Phillip de Wet

The disruption was brief, and Israel has now concluded its presentation to the ICJ, with a full 30 minutes left to its slot.

SA now has until Monday at 12:00 to respond in writing to what Israel has said.

- Phillip de Wet

Proceedings at the ICJ have been disrupted by someone shouting "liar" in the background.  

- Phillip de Wet

"For the court to accede to South Africa's request is to enable Hamas' battalions to continue to target Israel, to attack humanitarian crossing, and to destine the Palestinians in Gaza to perpetual war," says Tourgeman.

And it would mean the ICJ sides with a terrorist organisation.

- Phillip de Wet

If South Africa were honest in these proceedings, then it would have noted the "remarkable humanitarian efforts" by Israel, as well as the "crimes committed constantly by Hamas and the circumstances that compel Israel to respond to them, as any state would", says Tourgeman.

"Instead, it offers grandstanding and rhetoric, no real evidence."

- Phillip de Wet

On Wednesday, South Africa showed a video of Israeli soldiers chanting what SA said was the phrase "destroy Rafah".

The correct translation would actually be "dismantle", says Tourgeman, "a clear reference to Hamas".

- Phillip de Wet

"South Africa would do well to tell its ally Hamas to stop exploiting hospitals and other protected sites as military command centres," says Tourgeman - expressing directly what Israel has largely sought to imply and suggest in these legal proceedings.

- Phillip de Wet

South Africa "turns a blind eye to Israel's remarkable efforts" to improve aid delivery, Tourgeman charges, while UN officials and other states have seen "remarkable progress in the delivery of aid".

"To say, as South Africa presently does, that Israel is deliberately denying humanitarian aid cannot be farther from the truth."

- Phillip de Wet

Tourgeman has delivered a detailed account of Israeli humanitarian efforts.

She now switches to statements by Israeli leaders around aid.

That is key to several of Israel's arguments: That it has no genocidal intent, that South Africa has presented incorrect information, and that it is honouring a previous ICJ injunction that it must ensure aid gets where it is needed.

- Phillip de Wet

Now up for Israel, foreign ministry advisor Tamar Kaplan Tourgeman.

She says South Africa's presentation was striking for what it did not say.

"We have hardly heard the word 'Hamas'", she says, even though Hamas is responsible for the suffering SA says it seeks to stop.

- Phillip de Wet

Israel has now attacked both South Africa's facts and its approach, painting it as an ally of Hamas with little regard for the people of Palestine.

SA, Israel has argued so far, is cynically exploiting the ICJ, is insulting Israel by equating its actions to genocides including the Holocaust, and is ignoring the reality of the war in Gaza.

SA's claims are outrageous and libellous, Noam says, while Israel tries to engage with this process in good faith and shows its "unwavering commitment to international law" despite being under active attack.

- Phillip de Wet

Israel is outraged that South Africa speaks of "extermination zones", harking back to the Holocaust, and invokes the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, says Noam.

"How low South Africa has stooped."

- Phillip de Wet

"Hamas has been concealing the number of militants in its unverified list of Palestinian casualties," Noam says, and includes people who died from causes that include Hamas fire.

These numbers South Africa has accepted.

- Phillip de Wet

On Wednesday, South Africa argued that Israel would not allow independent fact-finding in Gaza, while insisting that information from the likes of UN bodies cannot be accepted.

Noam now says SA presented its case to the court relying in part on Hamas sources "or those subject to Hamas intimidation", and without making an effort to access information held by Israel.

- Phillip de Wet

The ICJ has previously found a genocide may be under way in Gaza, which gives it the power to order emergency measures.

That is extremely unlikely to change; the ICJ will neither make a more firm determination of genocide without full hearings that could take years, nor rescind that finding.

Yet, much like South Africa on Wednesday laid out evidence of what it says is genocide, Israel is now arguing again that there is no genocide in Gaza, nor genocidal intent by Israel.

- Phillip de Wet

"South Africa's actions speak louder than its words," charges Noam.

While Israel seeks a peaceful future for Gaza, South Africa wishes to keep Hamas in control.

- Phillip de Wet

South Africa again recently hosted Hamas representatives, says Noam, and did not call for the release of hostages, which could lead to the end of hostilities.

Now SA has "rushed" to court "for fear Hamas' last significant stronghold will fall".

- Phillip de Wet

SA is "exploiting" the Genocide Convention, Israel argues, and if it succeeds it would deny Israel the ability to defend itself while leaving Hamas free to attack it.

South Africa is asking the court to micro-manage an ongoing conflict, says Noam.

- Phillip de Wet

Noam presents the stories of Hamas' hostages, showing the court their pictures and speaking of the pain of their families.

"It is Israel's right and obligation to defend them," says Noam.

"Any state would do the same."

- Phillip de Wet

There has been no large assault on Rafah, says Noam, precisely because Israel is concerned about civilians.

Instead, it has engaged in "limited and localised operations" after evacuations.

- Phillip de Wet

There are many refugees in Rafah, says Noam, but "the city of Rafah also serves as a military stronghold for Hamas."

Israel must root out its rocket sites and command-and-control centres - which are embedded in the civilian population - he says.

- Phillip de Wet

Israel says this hearing is unfair because its chosen legal representatives were not available at such short notice.

It is not clear what practical impact that will have in these proceedings, though.

In other types of legal proceedings, such a complaint could form the basis of an appeal. But there is no appeal possible to the type of order the ICJ might make here.

- Phillip de Wet

The ICJ changed its mind about how to deal with this application, would not listen to Israel's concerns about the timing, and then, on Thursday, South Africa suddenly changed its request, says Israel's deputy attorney general for international law Gilad Noam.

Israel is strongly implying that this is a legal ambush.

- Phillip de Wet

Israel said it had been invited to submit a written submission by Wednesday - when it was suddenly informed the ICJ had decided to have oral presentation.

And its lawyers could not make it on Thursday, so it asked for a postponement "in good faith".

"Israel's request was rejected" - and instead, it remained set at SA's preferred date.  

- Phillip de Wet

The Israeli and South African teams are seated and appear to be ready, but there is no sign of the ICJ's judges yet - who are usually seated strictly on time in a court that prides itself on punctuality.

- Phillip de Wet

Israel is due to present its oral argument at the International Court of Justice shortly, responding to South Africa's presentation on Wednesday.

Like SA, Israel will have two hours.

We do not know what Israel might say: By Wednesday, it had not filed any written response to South Africa's application, which is very unusual in such cases.

After South Africa called for a Gaza-wide ceasefire, though, it is likely that Israel will repeat some of its previous arguments against such an order.

That has included saying that it cannot be denied its right to self-defence and that South Africa is seeking a military advantage for Hamas by trying to get a one-sided ceasefire order.

- Phillip de Wet

Suspected gunshots near Israeli embassy in Stockholm prompt police cordon

Swedish police have detained several people and cordoned off a large area in Stockholm after a patrol heard suspected gunshots, they said on Friday, with the Israeli embassy located in the closed-off area. "A police patrol at Strandvagen in Stockholm heard bangs and suspected there had been a shooting," police said on their website, adding that the affected area lay between the capital's Djurgarden Bridge, its Nobel Park and the Oscar Church.

Several people have been detained and an investigation has been launched into suspected serious weapons crime, they added.

-Reuters

US military says first aid shipment delivered via Gaza temporary pier

The US military said aid deliveries began Friday via a temporary pier in Gaza aimed at ramping up emergency humanitarian assistance to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

"Today at approximately 09:00 (Gaza time), trucks carrying humanitarian assistance began moving ashore via a temporary pier in Gaza," the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement, adding that no US troops went ashore.

-AFP

Pentagon chief told Israel counterpart civilians must be protected before any Rafah operation

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, in a phone call with Israel Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant, reinforced the "unquestionable necessity" of protecting civilians and ensuring the uninterrupted flow humanitarian aid before any potential military operation in Rafah, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

-Reuters

US House votes to force weapons shipments to Israel, rebuking Biden

The Republican-led US House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday that would force President Joe Biden to send weapons to Israel, seeking to rebuke the Democrat for delaying bomb shipments as he urges Israel to do more to protect civilians during its war with Hamas.

The Israel Security Assistance Support Act was approved 224 to 187, largely along party lines. Sixteen Democrats joined most Republicans in voting yes, and three Republicans joined most Democrats in opposing the measure. The act is not expected to become law, but its passage underscored the deep US election-year divide over Israel policy as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government seeks to wipe out militants who attacked Israel on 7 October.

Republicans accused Biden of turning his back on Israel after facing widespread pro-Palestinian protests. "This is a catastrophic decision with global implications. It is obviously being done as a political calculation, and we cannot let this stand," Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson told a news conference with other party leaders on Wednesday. Democrats also accused the other party of playing politics, saying Republicans are distorting Biden's position on Israel. "It is not a serious effort at legislation, which is why some of the most pro-Israel members of the House Democratic caucus will be voting no," House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told a news conference before the vote.

Israel, a major recipient of U.S. military assistance for decades, is still due to get billions of dollars of US weaponry, despite the delay of one shipment of 2 000-pound (907-kg) and 500-pound bombs and the review of other weapons shipments by the Biden administration. As recently as Tuesday, the State Department had moved a $1 billion package of weapons aid for Israel into the congressional review process, US officials said.

-Reuters

Even as SA demands the ICJ stop the war, Israel vows to 'intensify' operations in Rafah

A South African delegation on Thursday told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that, in the course of six days, things had so deteriorated in Gaza that the court had no choice but to order Israel out of the entire territory.

That, said South Africa, was the only way to halt an ongoing genocide. On the same day, Israel promised to escalate its attack on Rafah, the assault on which had triggered South Africa's application and seen the ICJ grant it a hearing. Israeli forces were manoeuvring there, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said, and "hundreds" of targets had been struck. But "additional forces will enter" the Rafah area and "this activity will intensify", he said.

Israel accuses South Africa of making false claims at ICJ genocide case

 Israel's foreign ministry said South Africa was "presenting biased and false claims" that "rely on unreliable Hamas sources" in response to a case brought to the UN's top court accusing Israel of genocide on Thursday.

"Israel acts in accordance with international law and its humanitarian obligations," a statement from the Israeli foreign ministry said.

"While implementing measures to minimize harm to civilians and civilian facilities."

The ministry called on the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, "to reject South Africa's appeal and to bring the abuse of the Court to an end."

-Reuters

SA asks ICJ to order total, unconditional Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, right now

South Africa has asked the International Court of Justice to order Israel out of Gaza, immediately and unconditionally.

It was offering oral argument in a hearing convened to consider its request for a ceasefire limited to Rafah.

But the exceptionally grave circumstances required nothing less than an order for Israel to withdraw all its troops from all of Gaza, South Africa argued.

On Friday, South Africa asked the ICJ to order a ceasefire in Rafah only.

Today, less than a week later, it argued that such a limited ceasefire will not do, and that the court must order all Israeli troops out of the whole of Gaza, immediately, and with no preconditions – such as that Hamas release its hostages.

The evidence of an ongoing genocide is too clear, and the consequences too grave, not to order a one-sided ceasefire, SA argued.

And, it said, failing to order Israel out of Gaza entirely has previously emboldened it.

Israel is due to respond in a two-hour slot starting at 10:00 tomorrow.

- Phillip de Wet

South Africa's ambassador Vusimuzi Madonsela now delivers the updated requested order from South Africa – and it is radically different from what SA had sought initially.

On Friday, SA had asked the court order: "The State of Israel shall immediately withdraw and cease its military offensive in the Rafah Governorate."

SA’s new text asks the ICJ to order that Israel "Immediately… cease its military operations in the Gaza strip, including Rafah Governorate, and withdraw from the Rafah crossing and immediately, totally and unconditionally withdraw the Israeli army from the entirety of the Gaza Strip."

- Phillip de Wet

After two orders from the ICJ seeking to restrain Israel, Gazans are still suffering desperately, Ní Ghrálaigh says.

Now the court must order it to "cease fire".

- Phillip de Wet

Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh now directly addresses Israel's likely argument that the ICJ can not make a one-sided ceasefire order.

There is no bar in law, or in the Genocide Convention, to such an order, she says.

- Phillip de Wet

Israel has claimed that it has achieved victory at the ICJ because it has not directly been ordered to stop its military operations in Gaza, Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh says – and so the court's reluctance to order a ceasefire is providing Israel with cover.

Now the ICJ must explicitly order Israel to withdraw from Gaza; "nothing else will suffice".

- Phillip de Wet

Evidence is mounting that Israel's interpretation of its rules of engagement, as well as international law "is in fact itself genocidal" says Ní Ghrálaigh.

- Phillip de Wet

Ní Ghrálaigh says the ICJ must impose a ceasefire on Rafah – as SA requested when it initiated these proceedings – as well as across the broader Gaza Strip.

That is likely to be a focus of an Israeli response tomorrow.

Israel’s government fears that an ICJ order it must withdraw from Gaza will put a great deal of pressure on allies, such as the United States, to stop supplying it with weapons.

- Phillip de Wet

South Africa's last presenter is the Irish barrister Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh.

- Phillip de Wet

Israel has neither prosecuted nor punished any official or entertainer inciting genocide, including those South Africa identified in January, says Ngcukaitobi.

- Phillip de Wet

Ngcukaitobi plays a video showing an assembly of Israeli soldiers chanting "let's go and destroy Rafah!"

- Phillip de Wet

Ngcukaitobi cites speeches and statements from both politicians and military officials in Israel he argues incites genocide.

Previously, South Africa argued such statements breach the Genocide Convention.

SA now argues it also shows Israel in contempt of the ICJ, which ordered it to investigate such instances.

- Phillip de Wet

Israeli leaders have continued to incite genocide, says Ngcukaitobi, both breaching the Genocide Convention and showing contempt for the ICJ.

- Phillip de Wet

Palestinians need no more words and denunciations of Israel's conduct, says Ngcukaitobi, but immediate action.

"It is simply now or never."

- Phillip de Wet