An international relations expert has said the recently-issued arrest warrants by the International Criminal court (ICC). may have spared Lebanon of further aggression. A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah kicked in on Wednesday.
“The ICC was able to move forward and its position sent a very firm signal, which also resonated with a lot of European powers in the sense that there is a need for peace and killing of people cannot continue under the watchful eye of the international community,” said Dr Gideon Chitanga, researcher at the Centre for Africa China Studies at University of Johannesburg.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his sacked defence minister, Yoav Gallant. The move made the world a smaller place for them as they could be arrested in any one of 124 countries that are party to the Rome Statute.
The ceasefire came into effect at 04:00, bringing with it hope of an end to more than a year of cross-border aggression. More than 3 823 people have been killed and 15 859 injured in Lebanon since October 2023.
Chitanga said it was also becoming increasingly costly for Israel, possibly motivating a ceasefire agreement.
“It’s very evident that fighting a war on multiple fronts is draining the Israeli military in so many ways. Israel’s economy cannot continue to sustain this war and there is intense pressure on Netanyahu to at least find an offramp.”
“It looks like this agreement has all the key elements that should allow it to hold or, at least, transform the conflict from intense military violence to continuous dialogue and negotiations that can foster some level of peace, which will also allow these key leaders to then focus on Gaza,” he added.
SMread: Nowhere safe for Gaza’s women and children
Picture: Reuters
