Israel’s government not working in good faith to free captives: Ex-Israeli army chief
Moshe Ya’alon, the former Israeli military chief, has claimed Israel’s current government is acting against the country’s interest in trying to prolong the war in Gaza.
“The government wants the war to continue until the end of its term, which goes against Israeli interests,” said Ya’alon in comments carried by Israel’s Army Radio. “It is not acting sincerely to free the hostages; we could have released them in November 2023.”
Israel will not compromise on dismantling Hamas: Minister
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar says Israel won’t compromise on its objectives of dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, and that there are no guarantees for the success of the three-phase ceasefire in Gaza.
Saar said Hamas leaders have declared their intent to carry out more attacks on Israel similar to the deadly raids on October 7, 2023, and could, therefore, not be allowed to retain any military capabilities.
“They are committed to the idea of eliminating the Jewish state,” Saar said. “Israel will not accept Hamas’s rule in Gaza. As long as Hamas remains in power, there will be no peace, security or stability in the Middle East.
“We hope the framework for the hostage release will continue until its end, but of course I cannot guarantee that. We will not abandon our objectives.”
Israel wants to see Gaza ‘become like Dubai’
Economy Minister Nir Barkat made the comments on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, saying Gaza could only be rebuilt if Hamas opts for enduring peace with Israel.
“The key question is if … they want to build a Dubai or rebuild Gaza the way it was,” Barkat said. “Dubai recognised the state of Israel, they are focusing on mutual economies… We would like to see Dubai in our region, not Gaza.”
While Israel has not said whether it will help finance the reconstruction of the Palestinian enclave it relentlessly bombed for more than a year, Barkat said Israel would “certainly be willing to enable the Emirates, the Saudis, and others to rebuild something that doesn’t threaten Israel”.
International Criminal Court expresses worry over US sanctions
The governing body of the International Criminal Court (ICC) says it’s deeply concerned following efforts in the United States to sanction the UN institution over its arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The arrest warrants were issued over Israel’s conduct during the war on Gaza.
Earlier this month, legislators in the lower chamber of the US Congress passed the “Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act” by 243 to 140 in a signal of strong support for Israel.
The legislation proposes sanctions for any foreigner who helps the ICC in its attempts to investigate, detain, or prosecute a US citizen or citizen of an allied country that does not recognise the authority of the court.
