Nine countries pledge to enforce arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
New Delhi: Nine nations have pledged to take action against Israel, including upholding The Hague's arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as part of efforts to end Israel's occupation of Palestine and address its operations in Gaza.
Organized under the 'Hague Group,' the countries—Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal, and South Africa—announced their commitment on January 31. They also vowed to prevent the supply of arms and munitions to Israel where there is a clear risk they may be used to violate international law, and to block vessels carrying military fuel or weapons to Israel from docking at their ports.
The group cited violations of international humanitarian law, human rights law, and the prohibition of genocide in Palestine as the basis for their stance. Their decision was influenced by Israel's disregard for rulings by international courts, including the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
South Africa, one of the member countries, previously brought a case before the ICJ alleging Israel's genocide in Gaza, a case expected to take years to conclude.
“The Hague Group’s formation sends a clear message: no nation is above the law, and no crime will go unanswered,” said South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola.
Progressive International (PI), the organization convening the group's meeting, called for renewed international efforts to hold Israel accountable for its actions. PI also quoted Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, stating that Israel's violations of international law extend beyond the persecution of Palestinians and threaten the very foundations of global law.
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4.4 magnitude quake hits northern Pakistan
Islamabad (PTI): A 4.4 magnitude earthquake jolted parts of north and northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, the second tremor to hit the country in as many days.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
The earthquake that struck at 9:30 am (local time) originated at a depth of 14 kilometres with its epicentre located 11 kms northeast of Burhan, Attock, according to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre, Islamabad.
Tremors were felt in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
The Saturday morning quake came less than 24 hours after a 5.9 magnitude temblor struck parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces, with tremors felt in several cities, including Peshawar and Islamabad, on Friday.
The epicentre of that quake at 6:09 pm (local time) was in Afghanistan's Hindu Kush region at a depth of 101 kilometres.
Earthquakes are common in northern Pakistan due to its location in the Himalayas where the Indian and the Eurasian tectonic plates meet.
Earlier, a 5.6-magnitude earthquake hit Balochistan province on February 13 but no loss to life or property was reported there too. Its epicentre was 86 kms northeast of Khuzdar town of the province.
The quake was preceded on the same day by another tremor of magnitude 3.8 that struck 75 kms southeast of Khuzdar at a depth of 33 kms.
The worst quake the country suffered was in 2005, which killed about 74,000 people.
