Latest news with #LordRoberts
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel has no alternative but to fight on in Gaza
After almost 18 months of unremitting bloodshed and carnage in Gaza, it is little wonder that the overwhelming body of world opinion favours a lasting ceasefire at the earliest opportunity. For, despite the terrible losses suffered by both sides in this pitiless conflict, there have been no winners, only traumatised losers. Israel may have suffered fewer casualties, but the entire nation remains in shock at the sheer barbarity of the atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists during the October 7 attacks in 2023. The comprehensive report into those events by the inimitable British historian, Lord Roberts of Belgravia, leaves no doubt about the inhumanity committed against the 1,200 victims, including a baby who was just fourteen hours old. For their part, Gaza's two million Palestinian residents have seen their once lively and bustling enclave largely reduced to rubble as the Israel Defence Forces have attempted to achieve their stated goal of erasing Hamas from the face of the earth. The total number of Palestinian casualties is hard to assess, not least because the figures are deliberately manipulated as a propaganda tool by Hamas, a fact conveniently overlooked by credulous news organisations like the BBC. Even so, it is clear that thousands of Palestinians have perished, and a significant proportion of Gaza's pre-war population have been forced to flee their homes as a consequence of Israel's unrelenting military effort. This week's announcement, therefore, by Israeli defence minister Israel Katz that the Israeli military is expanding its operations in Gaza will be seen by many as a retrograde step. Katz says the aim of the new offensive is to clear areas of Gaza 'of terrorists and infrastructure, and capture extensive territory that will be added to the State of Israel's security areas.' At the same time he has called on Gazans, who have been increasingly restive under Hamas's authoritarian rule, 'to act now to overthrow Hamas and return all the hostages.' This is easier said than done, given the violence meted out by the Iranian-backed terrorists against anyone who defies their will. It was revealed earlier this week that Hamas had beaten a protester to death and left his broken body on his family's doorstep pour encourager les autres against any future anti-Hamas activity. It is behaviour such as this, of course, that utterly refutes Hamas's claim to be the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and has made the task of negotiating a lasting ceasefire in Gaza nigh on impossible. Both the Biden and Trump administrations, together with key regional allies such as Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, invested a great deal of political capital in organising a ceasefire for Gaza. Their efforts did, ultimately, result in a brief cessation of hostilities, and the release of a handful of Israeli hostages in return for hundreds of convicted Palestinian terrorists. But Hamas's malevolent handling of the hostage releases, with many of the Israeli captives subjected to humiliating public rituals, exposed the terror group's fundamental lack of good faith. This has been a key factor in the collapse of the ceasefire. Hamas's reprehensible conduct, together with its insistence on adding new conditions that US officials said were 'entirely impractical', basically left the Israelis with little choice other than to resume hostilities. The renewed Israeli offensive has the Trump administration's full backing after the US president warned last month that there would be 'hell to pay' for Hamas if it did not release the remaining Israeli hostages, a warning the terror group has failed to heed. The timing of Israel's fresh assault against Gaza, moreover, needs to be seen within the context of the Trump administration's deepening stand-off with Iran over the ayatollahs' nuclear ambitions. Having personally written to the country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, offering to engage in direct talks aimed at dismantling Iran's nuclear programme, US President Donald Trump makes no secret of his anger at Tehran's refusal to play ball. In a television interview last weekend, Trump bluntly warned that 'if they don't make a deal, there will be bombing.' Khamenei, who has always insisted that Iran's nuclear programme had no military dimension, is now threatening that Tehran will have 'no choice' but to develop nuclear weapons if attacked. As Iran is also one of the primary backers of Hamas's terrorist network, any attempt by the Trump administration to attack Iran will inevitably result in Iranian-backed terror groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah targeting the US and its allies, including the UK. Senior Iranian commanders are already calling for pre-emptive attacks against the US-run Diego Garcia military base which is part – for the moment at least – of the British-controlled Chagos Islands. Iran and its terrorist proxies make no secret of their contempt for the West and its liberal values, which is why Western leaders should think twice before condemning Israel's latest offensive in Gaza. Israel's war against Islamist fanatics in Gaza and Iran is very much the West's war too, one that it is in all our interests that Israel wins, and wins decisively. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Israel has no alternative but to fight on in Gaza
After almost 18 months of unremitting bloodshed and carnage in Gaza, it is little wonder that the overwhelming body of world opinion favours a lasting ceasefire at the earliest opportunity. For, despite the terrible losses suffered by both sides in this pitiless conflict, there have been no winners, only traumatised losers. Israel may have suffered fewer casualties, but the entire nation remains in shock at the sheer barbarity of the atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists during the October 7 attacks in 2023. The comprehensive report into those events by the inimitable British historian, Lord Roberts of Belgravia, leaves no doubt about the inhumanity committed against the 1,200 victims, including a baby who was just fourteen hours old. For their part, Gaza's two million Palestinian residents have seen their once lively and bustling enclave largely reduced to rubble as the Israel Defence Forces have attempted to achieve their stated goal of erasing Hamas from the face of the earth. The total number of Palestinian casualties is hard to assess, not least because the figures are deliberately manipulated as a propaganda tool by Hamas, a fact conveniently overlooked by credulous news organisations like the BBC. Even so, it is clear that thousands of Palestinians have perished, and a significant proportion of Gaza's pre-war population have been forced to flee their homes as a consequence of Israel's unrelenting military effort. This week's announcement, therefore, by Israeli defence minister Israel Katz that the Israeli military is expanding its operations in Gaza will be seen by many as a retrograde step. Katz says the aim of the new offensive is to clear areas of Gaza 'of terrorists and infrastructure, and capture extensive territory that will be added to the State of Israel's security areas.' At the same time he has called on Gazans, who have been increasingly restive under Hamas's authoritarian rule, 'to act now to overthrow Hamas and return all the hostages.' This is easier said than done, given the violence meted out by the Iranian-backed terrorists against anyone who defies their will. It was revealed earlier this week that Hamas had beaten a protester to death and left his broken body on his family's doorstep pour encourager les autres against any future anti-Hamas activity. It is behaviour such as this, of course, that utterly refutes Hamas's claim to be the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and has made the task of negotiating a lasting ceasefire in Gaza nigh on impossible. Both the Biden and Trump administrations, together with key regional allies such as Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, invested a great deal of political capital in organising a ceasefire for Gaza. Their efforts did, ultimately, result in a brief cessation of hostilities, and the release of a handful of Israeli hostages in return for hundreds of convicted Palestinian terrorists. But Hamas's malevolent handling of the hostage releases, with many of the Israeli captives subjected to humiliating public rituals, exposed the terror group's fundamental lack of good faith. This has been a key factor in the collapse of the ceasefire. Hamas's reprehensible conduct, together with its insistence on adding new conditions that US officials said were 'entirely impractical', basically left the Israelis with little choice other than to resume hostilities. The renewed Israeli offensive has the Trump administration's full backing after the US president warned last month that there would be 'hell to pay' for Hamas if it did not release the remaining Israeli hostages, a warning the terror group has failed to heed. The timing of Israel's fresh assault against Gaza, moreover, needs to be seen within the context of the Trump administration's deepening stand-off with Iran over the ayatollahs' nuclear ambitions. Having personally written to the country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, offering to engage in direct talks aimed at dismantling Iran's nuclear programme, US President Donald Trump makes no secret of his anger at Tehran's refusal to play ball. In a television interview last weekend, Trump bluntly warned that ' if they don't make a deal, there will be bombing.' Khamenei, who has always insisted that Iran's nuclear programme had no military dimension, is now threatening that Tehran will have 'no choice' but to develop nuclear weapons if attacked. As Iran is also one of the primary backers of Hamas's terrorist network, any attempt by the Trump administration to attack Iran will inevitably result in Iranian-backed terror groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah targeting the US and its allies, including the UK. Senior Iranian commanders are already calling for pre-emptive attacks against the US-run Diego Garcia military base which is part – for the moment at least – of the British-controlled Chagos Islands. Iran and its terrorist proxies make no secret of their contempt for the West and its liberal values, which is why Western leaders should think twice before condemning Israel's latest offensive in Gaza. Israel's war against Islamist fanatics in Gaza and Iran is very much the West's war too, one that it is in all our interests that Israel wins, and wins decisively.
Telegraph
16-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
The International Criminal Court is not doing its job
The International Criminal Court (ICC) should intervene only where national legal systems fail – a principle that is known as complementarity. So why has it gone after Bibi Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of a country with a legal system so independent that he is already on trial there? And why, with so much evidence, is no living Palestinian terrorist facing arrest by the ICC in connection with the Hamas-led October 7 attacks on Israel? Next week a panel of senior parliamentarians led by historian Lord Roberts of Belgravia will publish the 7 October Parliamentary Commission Report. The ICC should pay attention. For the report is expected to offer harrowing insight into the barbaric acts carried out by Hamas. October 7 was no ordinary terrorist act. The catalogue of crimes included murder, hostage-taking, arson, mutilation and rape – much of it recorded and live-streamed by Hamas. Even corpses were kidnapped. Israel had been routinely condemned for its blockade of Gaza which critics said was grossly disproportionate. But by 7 October Hamas had amassed vast quantities of advanced weapons and munitions. Far from being disproportionate, the blockade had in fact been far less than adequate. There is no doubt that Hamas intended to launch a widespread attack against the civilian population in Israel. Under international law, acts of extermination, murder, torture or rape committed as part of such an attack against civilians amount to crimes against humanity. Under the Genocide Convention, acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group may amount to genocide. That is what Hamas intended – and still intends. Much is being said about the alleged disproportionality of Israel's response. But proportionality is a much-misunderstood concept. Belligerents must ensure that in every attack the risk to civilian life or property is not excessive in relation to the military advantage they anticipate. What counts as excessive? It depends on the circumstances. In the past, grim ratios between combatant and civilian deaths are believed to have been employed by countries, including Western ones. Grim though they might be, the fact that they exist means that those belligerents are seeking to abide by the basic principles of the law of armed conflict: distinguish between civilians and combatants at all times, and never deliberately target the former. But the destruction of civilian life was Hamas's central objective. Proportionality also defines the measure of what overall a state can do in self-defence. The overall military force must be proportionate to the objective of stopping and repelling the attack and, where that attack was not an isolated occurrence, preventing future ones. With an attack on the scale of 7 October, and an enemy that controls territory and resources and publicly shares its intention to plan more attacks, it can hardly be suggested that Israel's legitimate self-defence objectives have been met. Imagine if scores of small towns and villages had been destroyed in Britain, with thousands killed and wounded, and hundreds raped, mutilated or taken hostage. And then imagine the enemy sitting a stone's throw away, continuing to launch rockets and planning more. What would be a proportionate response? The leaders of Hamas were so bent on the destruction of Jewish life that they orchestrated and executed the biggest pogrom against Jews since the Holocaust. The ICC should be acting against them, not Netanyahu.
