First Thing: Israel’s nine-year ‘war’ of spying, hacking and intimidating the ICC exposed
Investigation reveals how intelligence agencies tried to derail war crimes prosecution. Plus, closing arguments in Trump ‘hush money’ trialGood morning.Israel has run an almost decade-long secret “war” against the international criminal court (ICC), deploying its intelligence agencies to surveil, hack, pressure, smear and allegedly threaten senior ICC staff in an effort to derail the court’s inquiries, an investigation by the Guardian and the Israeli-based magazines +972 and Local Call can reveal.What is the ICC? Since it was established in 2002, the ICC has served as a permanent court of last resort for the prosecution of individuals accused of some of the world’s worst atrocities. It has charged the former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, late-Libyan president Muammar Gaddafi and Russian president Vladimir Putin.What is the global significance of the recent ICC ruling? The decision to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, alongside Hamas leaders, plus demands for Israel to immediately halt its Rafah military offensive, has even led key allies to respect the ruling. Germany’s foreign minister said: “International humanitarian law applies for all, also for Israel’s conduct of the war.” Israel responded that the questions put to its prime minister’s office contained “false and unfounded allegations”.What more do we know about the Israeli airstrike on tents in Rafah? The strike, which killed at least 45 people, outraged the global community. The New York Times is now reporting that the bombs used were made in the US.What happens next? Jurors will return on Wednesday morning to receive instructions and guidance from the judge, Juan Merchan, before going to deliberate on whether Trump is guilty.What could it mean for Trump? If found guilty, the former president could face jail, though that is seen as unlikely. A guilty verdict is likely to trigger lengthy appeals. Continue reading...
Investigation reveals how intelligence agencies tried to derail war crimes prosecution. Plus, closing arguments in Trump ‘hush money’ trial
Good morning.
Israel has run an almost decade-long secret “war” against the international criminal court (ICC), deploying its intelligence agencies to surveil, hack, pressure, smear and allegedly threaten senior ICC staff in an effort to derail the court’s inquiries, an investigation by the Guardian and the Israeli-based magazines +972 and Local Call can reveal.
What is the ICC? Since it was established in 2002, the ICC has served as a permanent court of last resort for the prosecution of individuals accused of some of the world’s worst atrocities. It has charged the former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, late-Libyan president Muammar Gaddafi and Russian president Vladimir Putin.
What is the global significance of the recent ICC ruling? The decision to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, alongside Hamas leaders, plus demands for Israel to immediately halt its Rafah military offensive, has even led key allies to respect the ruling. Germany’s foreign minister said: “International humanitarian law applies for all, also for Israel’s conduct of the war.” Israel responded that the questions put to its prime minister’s office contained “false and unfounded allegations”.
What more do we know about the Israeli airstrike on tents in Rafah? The strike, which killed at least 45 people, outraged the global community. The New York Times is now reporting that the bombs used were made in the US.
What happens next? Jurors will return on Wednesday morning to receive instructions and guidance from the judge, Juan Merchan, before going to deliberate on whether Trump is guilty.
What could it mean for Trump? If found guilty, the former president could face jail, though that is seen as unlikely. A guilty verdict is likely to trigger lengthy appeals. Continue reading...
