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Ex-Egyptian official says US focuses on captive release over truce
Hussein Haridy, a former Egyptian ambassador, explains why the United States is prioritising a diplomatic solution focused on the release of Israeli captives from Gaza. He says the focus is especially on those with dual Israeli-American citizenship, with a target date before the upcoming US presidential elections on November 5.
War crimes court replaces judge in Netanyahu arrest case
The International Criminal Court (ICC) says it has replaced one of the judges deciding on a prosecution request for an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – a move that could lead to further delays in the case.
In May, prosecutors asked for arrest warrants for Netanyahu, his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders, saying there were reasonable grounds the men committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The court has no set deadlines, but has generally taken about three months to rule on requests for arrest warrants in previous cases. The decision had already been delayed by several rounds of legal filings from Israel challenging the jurisdiction of the court.
UN peacekeepers navigate ‘stormy’ reality in south Lebanon
Declan Power, a security and defence analyst and former UNIFIL peacekeeper, says it’s not unusual for peacekeepers to be forced to temporarily abandon positions during heightened tensions in southern Lebanon.
“I would liken Lebanon to a sea that sometimes can very quickly get stormy, and peacekeepers have had to navigate that reality over the last some 30-odd years,” Power told Al Jazeera.
Earlier, UNIFIL said its guards at an observation post near Dhayra were forced to pull out after being shot at by Israeli forces. It was the latest in a string of attacks after Israel’s army ordered the force to leave.
More attacks on UNIFIL positions could force smaller units to move out of their outposts, Power said, but in the bigger bases UN troops will remain.
Power said “it’s a bit rich” for Israel now to demand changes to the UN peacekeepers’ mandate, Resolution 1701, as it is a UN member and should not be “acting like a bad partner”.
