By Afshain Afzal

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is holding two sessions on 11 January 2024 (Oral arguments from South Africa) and 12 January 2024 (Oral argument from Israel), on the request of indication of provisional measures submitted by South Africa on 29 December 2023. The ICJ has twofold role: first to settle, in accordance with the international law, legal disputes submitted by the states and second to give advisory opinion on legal questions referred to it. While the court decides on a ruling, South Africa has also requested the court to impose emergency measures to cease alleged violations by Israel.

In its 84-page filing South Africa have claimed that Israel is committing genocide in manifest violation of the Genocide Convention by killing Palestinians in Gaza, causing them serious mental and bodily harm and by creating conditions on life calculated to bring about their physical destruction. It highlights Israel barring provision of essential food, water, medicine, fuel, shelter and other humanitarian assistance to the Gaza strip during the more than three-month war. It also points out the sustained bombing campaign which has laid much of the enclave to waste, forced the evacuation of some 1.9 million Palestinians and killed over 23,000 people according to Gaza health authorities.

On the other hand, Israel claims that on 7 October 2023, Israel experienced a catastrophic act of genocide when armed Hamas militants invaded the country through land, air, and sea. This act of genocide, coinciding with a Jewish holiday, involved destroying the Gazan security fence with heavy weaponry and infiltrating the southern cities of Israel. During this massacre, the Hamas murdered over 1,200 innocent civilians, including infants, the elderly and individuals at a music festival that celebrated peace. Hamas kidnapped 240 innocent Israeli civilians. However, so far Israel has neither shown any aircrafts, ship, or devices used by Hamas in neither air and sea attacks nor heavy weaponry held by Hamas.

By Afshain Afzal

It started with international propaganda inside Lebanon that Saleh Al-Arouri and his group were architects “Al-Aqsa Flood operation”, in which Hamas and other Palestinian resistance factions attacked Israeli military bases and settlements on 7 October 2023. Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, was scheduled to hold a meeting through Ismail Haniyah on 3 January 2024. Nasrallah was all set to make a speech Wednesday, the 3^rd of January 2024 marking the anniversary of the US killing of Qasem Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Al Quds Force. Ismail Haniyeh along with Palestinian leaders; Samir Fandi, Azzam al-Aqra, Mahmoud Zaki Shaheen, Mohammad Bashasha, Mohammad al-Rayes, Ahmed Hammoud were to jointly meet to make something public.

All these arrangements coincided with a huge was explosion that took place at the “Dahiyeh” area in southern Beirut on 2 January 2024, killing Palestinian leaders; Samir Fandi, Azzam al-Aqra, Mahmoud Zaki Shaheen, Mohammad Bashasha, Mohammad al-Rayes, and Ahmed Hammoud and injuring 11 other in this drone attack. An official statement from representative, Izzat al-Rishq said, “The strike proves once again the abject failure of the enemy to achieve any of its aggressive goals in the Gaza Strip.” Ismail Haniyah, was quick enough to admit in a televised address, “Seven members of the Palestinian group had been killed in the cowardly attack that killed Samir Fandi and Azzam al-Aqra, two leaders in the military wing of Hamas, as well as four other members of the group.”

Despite the rejection of Ismail Haniyah from the Hamas political authority in Gaza, Haniyah remained on public due to backing of Qatar and Iran, posing as true top leader of Hamas. Haniyah had been holding meetings with the Egyptian, Qatari and indirect Israeli leadership for the resolution of the Palestinian deadlock as well as close with the Hizbullah leadership in Lebanon. As per the details; Ismail Haniyah confirmed that he negotiated with Qatar and Egypt which is based on a complete cessation of the aggression against the Palestinians, helping them and responding to their rightful demands. And a condition that hostages will not be released except under the resistance's conditions. He also organized meeting of Palestinian leaders including Samir Fandi and Azzam al-Aqra killed on 2 January with Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, who was scheduled to hold a meeting through Ismail Haniyah on 3 January 2024.

Some time back, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah publicly warned and threatened Israel that any attempt to kill Hamas leaders in Beirut would invite a strong response. After the killings, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's advisor issued a statement, "We did not claim responsibility for the Beirut attack, and we did not target the Lebanese government or Hezbollah." Interestingly, an hour earlier Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan said, "I congratulate the Israeli army, Shin Bet, Mossad and security forces on the assassination of Hamas terrorist leader Saleh Al-Arouri." Washington, on the other hand, is blaming Israel claiming that Tel Aviv even sought permission to carry out drone attacks. Despite these developments, the Hamas leadership in Gaza did not share a strategy in the coming days.

By Afshain Afzal

When Israeli Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Tzipi Hotovely made an announcement last week her country would reject any possibility of a two-state solution after the war in Gaza ends… many Muslim nations took this terrorist threat by Tel Aviv as an ultimatum to their very survival as there was also an earlier announcement of Israel's Heritage Minister Amihay Eliyahu's about Israeli plans to carry out a nuclear strike on Gaza. In fact, the Muslim nations are taken aback by the announced genocide of Orthodox Muslim Palestinians by Israeli State authorities, especially when Tel Aviv still require a certificate of her legitimacy and is waiting for assent in the UNO system. The world nations should not remain in any misunderstanding that Muslim countries like Turkey, other Asian, African, Central Asia and Gulf nations are not bound under World War - I treaties, especially any secret one that have no trace in the UNO system.

As a show of force and control over regions, on 27 December 2023, the Turkish Navy successfully carried out the first live firing test of the fully indigenous Roketsan-made AKYA heavyweight torpedo with a real warhead in the East Mediterranean. It was launched from the TCG Preveze submarine and it hit the target with full accuracy. This had the confirmation by the office of Turkish Naval Forces Commander, Admiral Adnan Ozbal. As a reaction we saw the transcript released after US Press Briefing on 28th December 2023, “We continued to reinforce our traditional partnerships with China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the wider Islamic world. These relationships are based on mutual trust and friendship and characterized by a tradition of robust dialogue and exchange of bilateral visits”.

Filtering down the information into only the relevant pieces as peace and release are involved, we should also not pass any passing remarks till those who planned out speak themselves… five US citizens detained by Tehran were allowed to leave the country in exchange for the transfer of $6 billion in Iranian funds that were Iranian profits from oil sales were transferred from South Korea to Qatar as part of an agreement reached in September to exchange US citizens held in Iranian prisons. US President Joe Biden is delaying the decision and planned likely reversal on $6 Billion for Iran. After alleged Hamas attack on Israel, US President Joe Biden's $6 billion prisoner-swap deal with Iran is being scrutinized. US Treasury Department is now declining that it signed any agreement with Qatar to formally return $6 billion in Iranian funds. That is not all, since 7 October; whenever Tehran tried to issue strong statements or strong action each time was snubbed by Washington, United Kingdom or Canada. It is a time that requires unity amongst Muslims and other peace-loving nations of the world, so any sole flight of Muslim elements would turn into a disaster. Let us negotiate for peaceful coexistence for a better tomorrow.

01 JANUARY 2024, (TON). We will continue sharing the truth, no matter what happens. All articles published under Inside Story were removed from 10 December to 31 December 2023. We apologize for the inconvenience. We will try to share the same article published on Linked In on the dates published. Thank you. 

By Afshain Afzal

Despite a tense geopolitical environment due to intense diplomatic lobbying and coercion through indirect threats on attacks in pursuance to eliminating suspected Hamas elements in their countries, to some extent this time the rights of Palestinians and respect to international law was acknowledged. In a breakthrough on 8 December 2023, the UN General Assembly at its emergency special session “on Israeli actions in occupied Palestinian territories” overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling for a humanitarian truce in Gaza leading to a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers. The 193-member of the United Nations Organization adopted the resolution by a vote of 120-14 with 45 abstentions. But unfortunately, this resolution is not binding.

In another breakthrough, two days earlier, on 6 December 2023, the UN Secretary-General wrote a letter to the President Security Council dated 6 December 2023 (S/2023/962), invoking Article 99 of the Charter of the United Nations. The Muslim and Western world leaders trusted Turkey and Saudi Arabia to perform the lead role in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian deadlock but countries including UAE and Qatar hijacked and tried to sideline them. Even though we witnessed Russia, US Iran visiting Saudi Arabia and Turkey in connection with the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, wittingly or unwittingly a weak draft resolution was tabled as an eyewash on the “Palestinian question” to defeat the opportunity provided at UNSC. It is difficult to comment if the Palestine issue was intentionally derailed or it was a matter of misfire due to lust to become the leader of the Muslim nations. Veto by the US on 8^th December draft resolution on Palestine, no doubt, has put a dent on US credibility in the Muslim world and peace-loving countries around the world.

If we recall, soon after the tweet of UN Secretary-General António Guterres on 6 December, “I've just invoked Art.99 of the UN Charter - for the 1st time in my tenure as Secretary-General,” UAE Mission to UN tweeted at 10:52 pm on 6 December 2023, the tweet read; “The UAE calls for a humanitarian ceasefire resolution to be adopted urgently and has just submitted a draft to the UNSC. The situation in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic and close to irreversible. We cannot wait. The Council needs to act decisively to demand a humanitarian ceasefire… The UAE draft resolution has the support of the Arab and OIC groups. This is a moral and humanitarian imperative and we urge all countries to support the call of the Secretary-General.” UAE insisted voting on its own authored draft resolution on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question” for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire on 8 December.

Interestingly, a day later on 7 December, Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer said, “Frankly, if the war were stopped today, Hamas would continue to pose a threat, which is why we’re not in place yet of asking Israel to stop or for a ceasefire.” If we critically, examine Mr Jon Finer's statement, we would easily comprehend that Washington wants assurance from Muslim leaders, to be conveyed to Israel, that Hamas would carry out peaceful negotiations and would not pose a threat to Israel. Over the insistence of UAE the draft resolution was tabled in haste, which can be judged from the fact that the Council was expected to vote on a draft resolution in the morning but it was postponed to 5:30 pm to provide time for further negotiations and finally, the vote was subsequently moved up to 3 pm.

The US is justified that the horrific terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, condolences, and condemnation of their murderers were not made part of the Resolution. The statement of US Ambassador Robert Wood, with few exceptions, is justified as Washington has categorically assured, “The United States will continue the hard work of diplomacy to free hostages, to increase protection of civilians, to expand humanitarian aid and to create an opportunity for Palestinians and Israelis to live side by side in peace and security.” The efforts of all members of the United Nations must be respected but why these members could not have a consensus before tabling the resolution? The Resolution could always start with “We condemn the horrific terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, unjustified killings of civilians and instance sexual violence and kidnapping, reportedly by Hamas or whosoever committed these acts of terrorism and also express condolence with all those killed including Israelis and Palestinians post 7^th October attacks. We demand these incidents must be investigated and condemned and those civilians kidnapped must be released unconditionally” and must also come up with the solution of the Palestinian question.”

The UN Secretary General's letter is also seen with concern, the draft Resolution voted on 8 December had many flaws and we cannot blame any single country including the US for failing to get the draft resolution passed at the UNSC. We should not take an expelled Hamas leaders like Ismail Haniyeh as statements from Hamas.  We still have time to develop a consensus over the draft Resolution before re-tabling at UNSC at some appropriate date. Let us hope to re-phrase and re-table for peace in the Middle East and beyond. Exaggerated figures of killing, injuries and crimes would never resolve the issue, however, hope is still there and one feels optimistic that in days to come we the peace-loving people of the world will be able to come to a consensus.

By Afshain Afzal 

The United Nations Organization has, at last, played its due role for peace in the world. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter, urging the UN Security Council to act on the war in Gaza. The Article allows the secretary-general to bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security. out new threats to international peace and security

There can be no second opinion that due to the Israeli genocide of Muslim Palestinians in Gaza and other Israeli-occupied territories, the situation is likely to aggravate directly hinder the maintenance of international peace and security.

UN News website reports, “In his letter to the Council president, Mr. Guterres said the more than eight weeks of fighting overall had created appalling human suffering, physical destruction and collective trauma across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”

He highlighted the more than 1,200 “brutally killed” by militants on 7 October, including 33 children, and the 130 people still being held captive.

“They must be immediately and unconditionally released. Accounts of sexual violence during these attacks are appalling”, the UN chief added.

As Israel continues to target Hamas fighters, he said civilians throughout the Strip face grave danger, with over 15,000 reportedly killed, over 40 per cent of them children.

Around 80 per cent of Gazans are displaced, over 1.1 million seeking refuge in UN Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA) shelters.

Now it is right time to carry out trial of the Israeli regime at Tel Aviv and the Israel Defence Forces for the genocide of orthodox Muslim Palestinians and censuring those in alliance with Israel.  

By Afshain Afzal
After the 4 December-Hamas announcement of refusal of direct talks with Israelis denying handing over control of Gaza to the Israeli authorities, Tel Aviv has intensified aerial bombing at three locations martyring 3 Palestinian women and 2 men while 13 people were injured. Meanwhile, on 5 December several drone attacks and armour/ artillery shelling was reported at Gaza, however, the intensity of damage or causalities was not immediately known.
In another development, Israeli authorities claimed that Hamas security personnel guarding Gaza targeted Israel Armed Forces at multiple locations killing 7 Israeli soldiers and four injuring.  Hamas, on the contrary, confirmed that they had arrested at least four Israeli personnel while two Israelis surrendered before Hamas authorities. There was, however, no word from Hamas of any encounter or fighting with the Israelis.
Israel Defence Forces have released the names of 6 personnel killed during the last 24 hours including Major General Ben Zussman ex 401 Brigade and Sergeant Binyamin Yehoshua Needham ex 601 Battalion Combat Squad, however same could not be confirmed from independent sources.
Hamas authorities have rejected the fake video clip of an encounter and other fighting between the Palestinian armed group and 601 Battalion Combat Squad.  The Hamas authorities in control of Gaza said these are cheap tactics of Israelis to make it a plea of further genocide of orthodox Palestinian Muslims.  Hamas added, “Our peaceful struggle for independence of Palestinian territories will continue.”

SWITZERLAND, 5 DECEMBER 2023 (TON): The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has convened the 12th Olympic Summit for Tuesday, 5 December 2023. This meeting will be held at Olympic House, Lausanne, Switzerland. IOC President Thomas Bach has convened the 12th Olympic Summit, which he will chair.

Discussions will focus on several topics of interest to the Olympic Movement, including the unifying mission of the Olympic Games in the international community, the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024, updates on other forthcoming editions of the Olympic Games, e-sports within the Olympic Movement, and digital engagement as well as the protection of athletes.

The Olympic Summit brings together leading representatives of the Olympic Movement. It forms part of the ongoing dialogue and consultation on important issues and subjects of significance for the future of the Olympic Movement.

Afshain Afzal

“A clear message…” selected extracts of the issued statement runs as follow:-

“Bismillah Hir Rahman Nir Raheem; Ashaduallaa Ilaha Illallah Wahdahu La Sharika Lahu Wa Ashadu Anna Mohammadan Abduhoo Wa Rasooluhoo Wa Khatamun Nabiyeen; Nasrum Minallahi Wa Fathun Qareeba.”

“Israeli regime and its forces are war criminals and terrorists. Our leadership is not authorized to hold any talks with Israel, directly or indirectly, “Israel must be tried for war crimes, and it is engaged in crime against humanity, why sanctions have yet not been slapped over the entire Israeli regime and members of Israel forces? “…With the grace of Allah we are fighting and resisting well. Israelis are destined to face humiliating defeat. They will not tell what they suffered in Gaza during the siege. We are thankful to the whole world for raising their voice against Israeli genocide of Palestinians and for the plight of innocent Palestinian women and children. The massacre of innocent civilians in Gaza and Palestinian territories is unprecedented and is a crime under International Law. We are thankful to UN Secretary General and his organization for speaking and expressing concern of war crimes, barbarities and human rights violations by the Israeli forces and drone operators from across the borders. We strongly condemn all acts of violence attacks on schools and hospitals and kidnapping of women and children from Gaza to unknown locations,” “We request UN to take into account of political prisoners in Israel and ensure the recovery and release of girls and orphans whose parents killed in Israeli attacks, who might have been transported to other countries and handed over to people of other faiths and NGOs.”

“Palestinian nation in Gaza and other territories have expressed full confidence over the political authority of Hamas and we have a strong position in Gaza and still hold political authority. All the Palestinians of Gaza have unanimously rejected the Israeli and international community call to immigrate Gaza and move out to safer locations, no matter if all of them are killed by Israelis. We giving tough resistance to Israelis and would never allow them to occupy an inch of Gaza or territories in our control. Any Israeli military personnel as hostage will be treated well and will be released on assurance of peace.”

“We demand peace, the right to the self-determination to the Palestinians and acceptance of Muslim Palestinians and a small faction of Coptic Christians and Jewish minorities as the indigenous people of Palestine including occupied territories. Peace cannot be restored unless Israel guarantees the return of Palestinian-occupied territories, recognizes Hamas as the political authority controlling Gaza and other arrangements in West Bank controlled by Palestinians as legitimate political authority etc. We intend to establish a political democratic government in Palestine including occupied territories; all Palestinians including minorities would be given guarantees, safeguards and rights. We are ready to sign the Charter of the United Nations Organization as a member of the organization, abide by International Law and normalize ties with Jews living in Palestine on the condition of recognition of Palestine as an independent sovereign state.”

“We are prepared to negotiate a plan of partition of provinces on the lines of UN partition plan of 29 November 1947 with necessary readjustments including sovereignty over contagious land, space and sea under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and hereditary ownership rights which people of Palestine holds… “We demand the expulsion of all settlers post 1948, at least they would not enjoy complete rights unless negotiations for independent and sovereign Palestine State is not completed …”

Although a complete statement of Hamas leadership could not be acquired and they refused to share the country of their exile but message is quite clear. However, despite Hamas’ disapproval of making any contact with Israeli authorities, they expressed confidence in the leadership of Turkish and Saud Arabia to negotiate with United Nations Organizations to formally grant Palestine membership of the United Nations based on the Resolution this world organization already passed. It is, indeed, high time that the United Nations should play its role and bar Israel from any further attack on Gaza or an authorized mandate to Turkey and neighboring countries to send forces to Israel and Palestine to stop further genocide of Palestinians.

By Afshain Afzal

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a few hours ago on 2 December 2023, issued a statement, “We have always emphasized a permanent ceasefire rather than a humanitarian pause…. We lost the chance for peace after the humanitarian pause due to Israel's uncompromising approach.” The statement was issued after renewed target drone attacks and general aerial bombardment to carry out mass genocide of Orthodox Muslim Palestinians. Israel and its Western allies plus India have estimated at least 60,000 or more killings to pave the way for the settlement of non-Palestinians in Gaza and Palestinian territories. For this purpose, they intend to establish a safe or buffer zone on the Palestinian side of Gaza's border to differentiate between friends and foes, however, the Palestinians have refused to move out of Gaza, no matter if all of them are killed by Israelis, westerns and hypocrites.

An important announcement is likely to be issued by Hamas leadership in exile next week, probably as, a “permanent peace solution”. Where no formal statement has been issued, it was reemphasized that as earlier announced, their Political authority did not detain any woman, child, or older person except the one detained on the suspicion of spying released in mid-October 2023. It is being attributed to Hamas in Gaza they claimed. “We neither arrested women projected as released by Hamas in the media recently nor there is our hand in their release”. Interestingly, each player and their roles are limited to the need-to-know basis; US – UK – Qatar - Egypt - Iran, and Israel were tight-lipped in releasing the truth behind the hostages’ drama… but how long? The reports gave further confirmation that hostages were released on whose orders and through the good offices of which country.

Recently, the UK held a meeting with Egyptian leadership and issued a statement, “UK stands ready to provide further support, recognizing that there must be no forcible displacement from Gaza and that aid must be able to reach people across the Gaza Strip.” One wonders on one side these countries are party to barbarism and other side are worried about the supply of aid”. It was neither the aid nor concern for the Palestinians but was a blackmail and pressure tactic for the release of Alaa Abdel Fattah, an Egyptian blogger who was sentenced to five years in prison for "spreading fake news" against Muslim leadership and Islam and is presently detained in Wadi al-Natrun prison in Egypt. Ironically. UK has invented a unique way that might also be followed by other countries to grant citizenship to criminals and sentenced people in other countries in absentia to ensure their release. Alaa Abdel Fattah was granted British citizenship in prison in April 2022. Interestingly, he got the citizenship because his mother who is a mathematics professor at Cairo University was born in London. It is a matter of shame that neither UK nor any other Western country regretted the cold-blooded murders of 67 journalists and media persons martyred in Gaza by Israelis and allies.

If we recall, allies and US bluffed Muslim leadership that if they agreed to “normalised ties between the Arab countries and Israel” they would ensure a solution of the Palestine issue as per the aspirations of Palestinians. But despite the assurances by Tel Aviv and Washington for a peaceful, just solution of Palestine, it never happened. It was a double cross and these countries played with the sentiments of not only the signatories of “normalised ties” but also the whole Muslim world. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly made contact with the Arab leaders after the Israel self-engineered attack on her own Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and LGBT music and dance party at Kibbutz Re'im, Israel, as assurance was given of two-state solution by resuming the peace process and ending the illegal Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories by international law. But it was done to gain time to carry out genocide of Orthodox Muslims, their families, and supporters as well as to settle new people as lost Jew tribes, especially from India, Iran and former Persian immigrants to other parts of the world.

By now we all know that it was Israel's self-engineered attack on her own Israel Defence Forces and LGBT music and dance party at Kibbutz Re'im, Israel to derail the promises and assurances of a two-state solution by resuming the peace process and ending the illegal Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories by international law. Now Tel Aviv has resumed attack after a pause to win public opinion and gain time to carry out genocide of Orthodox Muslims, their families and supporters as well as to settle new people as lost Jew tribes, especially from India, Iran and former Persian immigrants to other parts of the world. The leadership of Arab states in an exclusive dialogue on 1 December proposed parting way from the bluff of “normalized ties”, that not only focused on Israel but also her allies. The United Nations and international Human Rights organizations must continue their efforts, no matter how effective they are to expose the Israeli war crimes and get compensation from Israel and its allies for every victim of genocide.