BREAKING: War Cabinet Orders IDF to Lay Waste Rafah Neighborhood, Murdering 100 Civilians ICC prosecutor issues stark genocide warning against Israel
Survivors of the IDF destruction of this Rafah neighborhood following the rescue of two Israeli hostagesחשיפה: הפקודה הסודית של קבינט המלחמה, “אוי לרשע ואוי לשכנו”, קובעת כי כל שכונה עזתית שבה מוחזקים חטופים תוחרב לאחר חילוצם
The IDF rescued two Israeli captives in Rafah yesterday. After the rescue it bombed and destroyed the entire neighborhood in which they were held. It was an act of revenge and collective punishment. Over 100 civilians were killed in the attack.
Foreign news outlets have written about both events. I am breaking a story connecting the two events. It is under military censorship and Israeli media outlets are prohibited from reporting this: the Israeli war cabinet ordered the Rafah massacre as an act of retribution against all the civilians living where the hostages were held.
This is further evidence that such genocidal acts are not independent decisions by the army itself; but rather an official act of the state. Thus further supports both the International Court of Justice’s case against Israel; and any International Criminal Court claims brought against the members of the war cabinet, including Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot (both former chiefs of staff), and Netanyahu himself.
I broke the story of the war cabinet’s Amalek Directive, issued in late October. It too was under military censorship. The Directive consisted of a death warrant against six Hamas leaders and their entire families. Invoking Amalek validated an ancient genocide as a precedent for a modern genocide.
The order for the Rafah massacre also referred to an act of mass murder from the Bible. Korach was an Israelite who rose up against Moses. He gathered followers and threatened a mass rebellion. God beat back this threat by threatening to annihilate all the rebels. But Moses bargained with God seeking mercy for those who would turn away from Korach. He then warned them of their fate if they remained true to the rebel leader: “woe unto the wicked and woe unto their neighbors.” Korach then met his fate as an earthquake swallowed him.
There is one major difference between Gaza and Korach: Moses permitted the rebel’s followers to save their lives. Israel offered no such mercy to the 100 Gazans it murdered yesterday. I’m calling this the Korach Directive, a flagrant act of genocide. South Africa’s legal team and ICC chief prosecutor should include this as evidence in their deliberations.
In considering the Biblical references used to justify the genocide, I felt skeptical that three secular Israelis forming the war cabinet (Gantz, Eisenkot and Netanyau) would associate their orders with a religious references. It seemed out of character. Until I considered that Netanyahu needs to retain the loyalty of two key allies: Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, who are both Orthodox settlers. Appropriating Biblical sources appeals to their religious tradition and their right-wing followers.
But to Jews in the Diaspora, invoking Biblical precedent for a modern genocide is an abomination. In Jewish tradition, the gravest phrase denouncing such an act is: chilul ha’Shem (“desecrating God’s Name”). If there is any justice in the world, these three will face their own judgment like Korach–either by earthly or heavenly justice (or both.)
ICC chief prosecutor warns Israel of genocide charges
Today, ICC chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, issued a warning to Israel not to invade Rafah. He tweeted:
I am deeply concerned by the reported bombardment and potential ground incursion by Israeli forces in Rafah.
My Office has an ongoing and active investigation into the situation in the State of Palestine. This is being taken forward as a matter of the utmost urgency, with a view to bringing to justice those responsible for Rome Statute crimes.
All wars have rules and the laws applicable to armed conflict cannot be interpreted so as to render them hollow or devoid of meaning. Since that time [last visit to Palestine], I have not seen any discernible change in conduct by Israel…Those who do not comply with the law should not complain later when my Office takes action pursuant to its mandate.
Khan’s statement was greeted with deep skepticism: the ICC first began a legal process concerning charges of Israeli genocide after Operation Protective Edge in 2014. It confirmed full jurisdiction in 2021. Since then, there has been no appreciable progress. The Court has not announced a formal investigation, let alone filed charges against individual perpetrators.
Compare this to his handling of the case of Russia kidnapping 300,000 Ukrainian children from their parents and taking them to Russia. The period between commencing an investigation and issuing an arrest warrant against Putin was breathtakingly short: less than a year. When it comes to Gaza, time moves at a glacial pace.
Of course, Khan’s statement is welcome. It is the strongest statement he has made since he became chief prosecutor. But it will mean nothing if he doesn’t follow words with action. He must complete an investigation and issue an indictment of Israeli generals and leaders: including the three members of the war cabinet. Not only are they responsible for the genocide in Gaza–two of them led an army which committed such crimes under their command.
If Khan doesn’t act; if Biden doesn’t act; if the UN Security Council doesn’t act; if the Arab world doesn’t act–then we will know what their morality is worth. We will know what their rules based order is worth. We will know what international law is worth.
Not worth a damn. The result: possibly as many as 50,000 Palestinian dead in Gaza before the war ends.