U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat from Michigan, has expressed her concerns about potential “crimes against humanity” that she believes Israel is about to commit. In a recent statement, she called for the International Criminal Court to take action by arresting Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a statement on Tuesday, Tlaib highlighted that there are currently over 1.5 million Palestinian civilians, including more than 600,000 children, who are confined within Rafah.
According to Tlaib, the residents of Rafah are currently enduring extremely difficult living conditions. They find themselves without access to basic necessities such as food, clean water, sanitation, medicine, and proper shelter. These individuals are forced to reside in makeshift tents, which further exacerbates their already dire circumstances.
According to her, Israeli forces have already caused the death of more than 35,000 Palestinians. The families who have been displaced in Rafah will now have to endure additional unimaginable human suffering.
Tlaib is calling on the ICC to take action and arrest Netanyahu and other high-ranking Israeli officials. Her goal is to hold them accountable for what she believes to be acts of genocide, as defined by the Genocide Convention under international law.
Israel and the United States do not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction, despite Tlaib’s request. The ICC, based in The Hague, is not affiliated with the United Nations’ endeavors to investigate war crimes.
According to Tlaib, her colleagues in Congress have recently approved a significant amount of funding for weapons to be sent to Netanyahu’s administration. She expresses her concern by stating that they have essentially given their approval for the atrocities committed by the Israeli government.
According to her, Gaza has become an unsafe place since the war began. The conflict was initiated by Hamas on October 7, resulting in the death of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of around 250 Israeli citizens and other individuals.
Around 99 hostages are believed to still be in captivity, even after Hamas released some and others unfortunately lost their lives.
According to reports from Time, the BBC, and CBS News, Hamas launched a series of rockets and mortars targeting the Kerem Shalom crossing, which serves as the primary humanitarian aid entry point into Gaza.
Hamas has claimed responsibility for the attack, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least four people and injuring another 10. As a result, Israel has made the decision to close the crossing, leaving Rafah as the sole entry point for crucial humanitarian aid into Gaza.
On Sunday, Hamas launched an attack after the cease-fire talks collapsed. As a result, Israeli forces issued a warning to the people of Rafah in Gaza, urging them to evacuate as the Israel Defense Forces geared up to enter the area.
According to The Jerusalem Post on April 23, there were reports of Hamas militants intentionally targeting aid workers, stealing food, and causing a food crisis in Gaza. While Tlaib primarily held Israel responsible for the difficulties faced by Gazan civilians.
According to a recent news video on Fatah TV, Hamas militants have been reported to attack aid workers and steal supplies for two main reasons. Fatah claims that one reason is to hinder any activity in Gaza by non-Hamas individuals or groups. The other reason is to exert full control over all aid and its storage, resulting in skyrocketing food prices that are unaffordable for the people of Gaza. This has led to a severe food crisis in the region, as highlighted in the report by The Post.
Fatah, led by Mahmoud Abbas, is a faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
In 1988, the leaders of the PLO denounced terrorism, which led to the United States removing the organization from its list of foreign terrorist organizations.
On October 8, 1997, the United States included Hamas in its list of foreign terrorist organizations, a designation that has remained in place throughout the war in Gaza.
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