While both the Israeli government and military seem determined to invade Rafah, reports from Israeli media suggest that Israeli soldiers have refused to listen to their commanders who ordered them to prepare for the attack.
According to a report by Israel’s Channel 12 this Tuesday, dozens of Israeli soldiers in the reserve paratrooper brigade in the Israeli occupation army have refused commands to prepare for carrying out a military invasion of Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah.
“About 30 soldiers from the reserve paratroopers company attached to the regular paratrooper brigade received an order to prepare for an operation in Rafah, but the soldiers refused orders to prepare and informed their commanders that they would not join their unit because they are no longer capable of doing so,” the report said.
The report further said, citing one Israeli commander, that he had received dozens of letters from his soldiers in which they expressed their unwillingness to participate in the military operation in Rafah, claiming that he was not partaking in the military operation because he enjoys war, but rather “because it is necessary to do so while my brothers and sisters are kidnapped and because we are in the midst of the second establishment of the State of Israel.”
Confirming the report, the Israeli army issued a statement a few hours later on the same day and noted that the refusal won’t change the planned invasion. “The Army will not force reserve personnel to partake in the attack,” the statement said, also asserting that refusal to join the invasion by soldiers will not lead to an operational gap.” This is while the report Israel’s Channel 12 explained that such a move by Israeli soldiers is “a clear indication of depleted reserve forces after months of intense fighting.”
Invading Rafah is not Netanyahu’s only problem!
While the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in a dilemma whether to carry out the invasion of Rafah or not, it is not his only problem as he has other challenges to deal with.
These days, Netanyahu is also too much concerned about the possibility of an international arrest warrant being issued against him and a number of other senior officials from his government.
Israeli media sources revealed Netanyahu’s worries about the potential action by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. There have been widespread reports indicating that the court may issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Israeli army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi.
Such arrest warrants could have a devastating impact and lead to Israel as a state to be marred with the label of “war criminal”. On 19 April, Israel’s TV Channel 12 reported that the ICC is considering the issuance of international arrest warrants against Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials in May. The warrants are being considered in relation to allegations of “war crimes” committed against Palestinians in Gaza.
US efforts to save Bibi at any cost!
As Netanyahu’s fear for being arrested out of Israel grows, his is now hoping that Israel’s ally, the United States, can save him. Reports suggest that in recent days, Netanyahu has appealed to US President Joe Biden several times to intervene and stop the ICC from issuing an arrest warrant for him and his government officials.
In response, the United States said this Tuesday that it opposed the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
“We’ve been really clear about the ICC investigation, that we don’t support it, we don’t believe that they have the jurisdiction,” US Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters in a briefing in the White House, adding that “the primary focus of that call was obviously the hostage deal and getting to a ceasefire, getting humanitarian aid into Gaza.”
