Nournews: The International Criminal Court (ICC), in a courageous move, issued an arrest warrant for the Israeli regime’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and its former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, on charges of committing war crimes in Gaza.
This move came after investigating a number of accusations, including attacks against civilians and the use of inhumane methods such as besieging the people of Gaza to prevent them from accessing food and medicines, bombing hospitals and aid centers, as well as targeting relief workers and United Nations staff.
Although the verdict is only binding for the member states of the court (124 countries) and its practical influence may be limited, it is a courageous and important occurrence that has drawn the attention of the global community to the crimes of Netanyahu and the Zionist regime against the innocent people of Gaza.
The Zionist regime and its allies, particularly the US, do not recognize the court and have announced that they will equally act against this verdict. However, considering the extended influence of the verdict, if Netanyahu or Gallant travel to member states, they may be arrested.
After the announcement of the verdict, some countries like Canada and members of the European Union announced that they would be committed to the verdict. But the United States and the Israeli regime rejected it, describing it as biased.
While conflicts in the region continue with daily invasions by the Zionist regime into Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, the ICC verdict against Netanyahu and Gallant for war crimes in Gaza will have important effects on the development of West Asia in different diplomatic, political, and security aspects.
Experts believe that Netanyahu, due to his unstable condition inside the regime and to escape increased political pressures—which with the issuance of the recent verdict will also gain international dimensions—wants to present himself as entitled by intensifying military operations and continuing massacres.
The verdict can be a legal instrument for Palestinians in the international community to exert more pressure on the Israeli regime through the Security Council and the United Nations General Assembly. However, because of the absolute support of the US for all crimes of the Israeli regime and repeated vetoes of resolutions presented in the Security Council aimed at limiting Zionist crimes in Gaza and Lebanon, one cannot have much hope in the defining effect of this verdict for the realization of the rights of Palestinians.
Regardless of the effects of the verdict on the international level, one cannot dismiss its impact on limiting the relationships of various countries with the Zionist regime.
Some countries that have normalized their ties with the Zionist regime (like the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain) may balance their policies under domestic or international pressure.
Such a condition can slow or stop the normalization of ties and the pursuit of the Abraham Plan, which was among Donald Trump’s goals during his presidency.
Experts believe that Donald Trump, in his second tenure, seeks to operationalize the Abraham Plan as his main foreign policy priority.
Meanwhile, the way Saudi Arabia reacts to Trump’s will—given Riyadh's influential role in the Arab world—is of high importance.
The ICC-issued verdict can be an obstacle in negotiations aimed at normalizing ties between Saudi Arabia and the Israeli regime. Saudi Arabia may postpone the negotiations or present conditions to preserve its reputation in the Islamic world and the region’s public opinion.
Countries that always want to introduce themselves as advocates of human rights cannot remain indifferent to the verdict, particularly regarding the violation of human rights in Gaza.
Therefore, the global wave caused by the verdict can boost grassroots and international support for Palestinian resistance. Such a trend is an important step toward legitimizing the Palestinian fight and can significantly contribute to explaining the innocence of the Palestinian people and their right to defend themselves.
Another interesting subject is the verdict's impact on dialogues aimed at creating a truce in Gaza and Lebanon. The verdict against Netanyahu and Gallant can have mutual effects on truce talks.
On one hand, increased international pressure and public opinion against the continuation of war in Gaza and Lebanon can force Tel Aviv to stop warmongering and the killing of civilians. On the other hand, this regime, because of this verdict, may abstain from any negotiations, leading to a new deadlock in forming a truce.
All negative and positive reactions to the ICC-issued verdict and the developments it has caused show that the verdict is beyond a legal action and will have significant effects on political, diplomatic, and security equations at the international level and on the current situation in West Asia.
NOURNEWS