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FM Katz Urges Embassies to Bolster Security Amid ICC Arrest Warrant Concerns
The International Criminal Court. Photo: ICC Website.
i24 News – In response to mounting concerns over potential arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for senior Israeli political and IDF officials, Foreign Minister Israel Katz has issued a directive calling on Israeli embassies worldwide to ramp up security measures.
The move comes amidst fears of a surge in antisemitic sentiment globally.
Reports circulating suggest that the ICC may soon issue warrants targeting high-ranking Israeli figures. In light of this, Katz emphasized the need for proactive measures to counteract what he described as a possible “anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli antisemitic wave” across the world.
“The threat posed to Jewish communities abroad cannot be understated,” Katz stated, underscoring the gravity of the situation. In addition to fortifying security at Israeli embassies, he has urged Jewish organizations worldwide to collaborate closely in preparation for any potential developments, including coordinating heightened security around Jewish institutions.
Minister Katz’s plea for heightened vigilance extends to Minister Amichai Chikli, responsible for combating antisemitism. Katz emphasized the expectation that the ICC would refrain from issuing warrants against Israeli officials. He expressed concern that such actions would not only undermine Israel’s ability to defend itself but also bolster extremist groups like Hamas and Iran-backed factions.
“We expect the court (ICC) to refrain from issuing arrest warrants against senior Israeli political and security officials,” Katz asserted. “There is nothing stranger than trying to prevent Israel from defending itself against a murderous enemy who openly calls for the destruction of the State of Israel.”
In his statement, Katz highlighted Israel’s adherence to international laws of war and its efforts to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, despite challenges posed by groups like Hamas, who exploit civilian populations. He reiterated Israel’s resolve in combating terrorism and ensuring the safety and security of its citizens.
“We will not lower our heads, we will not be discouraged, and we will continue to fight until all the hostages are freed, the defeat of the terrorist organization Hamas, and the return of our residents of the south and north to their homes, in peace and security,” Katz concluded.
The post FM Katz Urges Embassies to Bolster Security Amid ICC Arrest Warrant Concerns first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Sweden Ends Funding for UNRWA, Pledges to Seek Other Aid Channels
View of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) building in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib / Flash90.
i24 News – Sweden will no longer fund the U.N. refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) and will instead provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza via other channels, the Scandinavian country said on Friday.
The decision comes on the heels of multiple revelations regarding the agency’s employees’ involvement in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel that triggered the war in Gaza.
Sweden’s decision was in response to the Israeli ban, as it will make channeling aid via the agency more difficult, the country’s aid minister, Benjamin Dousa, said.
“Large parts of UNRWA’s operations in Gaza are either going to be severely weakened or completely impossible,” Dousa said. “For the government, the most important thing is that support gets through.”
The Palestinian embassy in Stockholm said in a statement: “We reject the idea of finding alternatives to UNRWA, which has a special mandate to provide services to Palestinian refugees.”
Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel thanked Dousa for a meeting they had this week and for Sweden’s decision to drop its support for UNRWA.
“There are worthy and viable alternatives for humanitarian aid, and I appreciate the willingness to listen and adopt a different approach,” she said.
The post Sweden Ends Funding for UNRWA, Pledges to Seek Other Aid Channels first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Pope Calls Gaza Airstrikes ‘Cruelty’ After Israeli Minister’s Criticism
Pope Francis waves after delivering his traditional Christmas Day Urbi et Orbi speech to the city and the world from the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, December 25, 2021. Photo: REUTERS/Yara Nardi
Pope Francis on Saturday again condemned Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, a day after an Israeli government minister publicly denounced the pontiff for suggesting the global community should study whether the military offensive there constitutes a genocide of the Palestinian people.
Francis opened his annual Christmas address to the Catholic cardinals who lead the Vatican’s various departments with what appeared to be a reference to Israeli airstrikes on Friday that killed at least 25 Palestinians in Gaza.
“Yesterday, children were bombed,” said the pope. “This is cruelty. This is not war. I wanted to say this because it touches the heart.”
The pope, as leader of the 1.4-billion-member Roman Catholic Church, is usually careful about taking sides in conflicts, but he has recently been more outspoken about Israel’s military campaign against Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
In book excerpts published last month, the pontiff said some international experts said that “what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide.”
Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli sharply criticized those comments in an unusual open letter published by Italian newspaper Il Foglio on Friday. Chikli said the pope’s remarks amounted to a “trivialization” of the term genocide.
Francis also said on Saturday that the Catholic bishop of Jerusalem, known as a patriarch, had tried to enter the Gaza Strip on Friday to visit Catholics there, but was denied entry.
The patriarch’s office told Reuters it was not able to comment on the pope’s remarks about the patriarch being denied entry.
Israeli officials were not immediately reachable for comment on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, and the Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The post Pope Calls Gaza Airstrikes ‘Cruelty’ After Israeli Minister’s Criticism first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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IDF Pledges to Implement Lessons from Failure to Intercept Houthi Missile
Iranian-backed Yemeni terrorist leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi. Photo: Screenshot
i24 News – The Israeli military said on Saturday that while the investigation into the failure to intercept the missile that hit Tel Aviv early in the morning was still ongoing, some lessons were already being implemented. The ballistic missile, fired by Yemen’s Houthi jihadists, landed at a playground in a residential area, leading to 16 people sustaining injuries from glass shards.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson said that “some of the conclusions have already been implemented, in regards of both interception and early warning.”
The spokesperson added that “no further details regarding aerial defense activities and the alert system can be disclosed due to operational security considerations.”
The Houthis have repeatedly fired drones and missiles towards Israel in what they describe as “acts of solidarity” with Palestinians in Gaza.
The post IDF Pledges to Implement Lessons from Failure to Intercept Houthi Missile first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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