By Afshain Afzal

The 20th of May 2024 will be recorded as a golden day in history, as a positive step for peace in the Middle East, especially with regard resolution of Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced that the Court had reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and command of Israeli Defence Forces bear criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Accordingly, Mr Karim Asad Ahmad Khan, ICC Chief Prosecutor filed applications for warrants of arrest before Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court for Israelis' alleged war crimes by Israelis post 8 October 2023 and Hamas leaders including Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri and Ismail Haniyeh for alleged crimes committed on the 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel. There may be further applications for arrest warrants, for different suspects and different or additional charges, yet to come.

There is no doubt, Mr Karim Asad Ahmad Khan ICC Chief Prosecutor belongs to a school of religious thought who are deadly against the orthodox Muslim faith, also being followed by Hamas and almost all the Palestinians but we have to trust the International Justice System, being the only ray of hope. Mr Karim Asad Ahmad Khan, a British-Ahmadi (Qadiani) whose father Dr Saeed Ahmad Khan was a Pakistani, serves as Chief Prosecutor of the ICC. Mr Karim Asad Ahmad Khan is son-in-law of the late Ahmadi Caliph - IV, Mirza Tahir Ahmad and married to Sahibzadi Yasmin Rehman Mona the third daughter Mirza Tahir Ahmad.

The decision by the ICC received a mixed reaction, a majority favouring the historic decision. Hamas, which denies carrying out 7 October attack on Israel was unsatisfied over “equating the victim with the executioner” by issuing arrest warrants against its leaders. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the ICC decision was a disgrace and an attack on Israel. Spokesperson for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak rejected the decision on grounds that London does not recognize Palestine as a state and Israel is not a state party to the Rome Statute. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, the United States rejects the ICC prosecutor’s application for arrest warrants. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer Chancellor Nehammer said, ICC’s move to seek arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas officials at the same time was non-comprehensible. Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said that any crimes committed in Gaza must be prosecuted at the highest level.

It is high time that the United Nations Organization musters up the courage and decide the case on merit rather than on the doctrine of necessity or pressure by big powers. Some of the countries and organization having main roles have not been mentioned might form part of additional charges. We are also hopeful that honourable Mr Karim Asad Ahmad Khan would remain steadfast to call a spade a spade and remove all past misunderstandings and misconceptions between faiths, communities and people. Congratulations to United Nations organizations, especially the Secretary General Mr António Guterres and Mr Karim Asad Ahmad Khan for a splendid job done.