WWhile Israel's army continues to wage fierce battles with the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip, there is a threat of a state crisis in its own country. Israel's Supreme Court dealt a further domestic political blow to the already ailing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with its decision on Monday to overturn a key element of the country's controversial judicial reform. Whether this will affect further warfare is uncertain. In any case, the army is preparing for a long fight against Hamas, even if it is now withdrawing some of its reservists from the front.
“The court decision contradicts the people’s will for unity, especially in times of war,” criticized Netanyahu’s right-wing conservative Likud party. The court had previously annulled a government amendment to the constitution that had deprived it of the opportunity to take action against “inappropriate” government decisions. Critics saw this as a threat to Israel's democracy. There had been mass protests for months. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Monday that Hamas may have carried out its attack on October 7 because it believed Israeli society was in chaos.
Israel's army responds to rocket fire
Meanwhile, the army said it fired back in response to renewed rocket fire from Syria and Lebanon. As she announced on Monday evening, five rockets fired from Syria flew into Israel and fell in open areas. Fighter aircraft then attacked the launch sites. On Israel's northern border, a fighter plane also hit “terrorist infrastructure” of the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. Rockets were fired from there on Monday towards a northern Israeli settlement, it said.
Since the beginning of the Gaza war after the massacre by terrorists from the Islamist Hamas and other extremist groups in Israel on October 7th, there have been repeated confrontations between Israel's army and Hezbollah in the border region. The security situation throughout the region has been very tense since the start of the Gaza war. The risk of the conflict expanding is also growing. The US has pushed Israel to move from an intensive period of heavy bombing in Gaza to more targeted strikes against Hamas.
Has a new phase in the Gaza war begun?
The New York Times newspaper quoted military analysts and US officials on Tuesday night as saying that the Israeli army's announced at least temporary withdrawal of some reservists from the front probably signaled that such a phase change has now begun. In view of the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the sealed-off coastal area and the high number of civilian casualties, Israel has recently come under increasing international criticism.
Human Rights Commissioner: Signs of war crimes in Gaza war
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, sees the war as signs of war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity. On the Palestinian side, he mentions the terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th and 8th, the indiscriminate firing of projectiles into Israel and the military action from civilian facilities. Regarding Israel, Türk told the German Press Agency in Geneva: “If you look at how Israel has reacted to this, I have serious concerns about compliance with both human rights and international humanitarian law.”
In the heavy Israeli bombings, 70 percent of those affected were women and minors. “One can assume that the majority of those who were hit are civilians,” the Austrian told dpa. “Furthermore, collective punishment of Palestinians is a war crime. Of course, courts ultimately have to judge who committed which crimes.”
According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, the number of Palestinians killed is 21,978. The figures cannot be independently verified. According to the latest information from the UN Palestinian Relief Agency, 40 percent of the people in the area sealed off by Israel are at risk of famine.
What will be important on Tuesday
After the Supreme Court's ruling against part of the controversial judicial reform, the question arises whether Netanyahu accepts the decision or not.
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