Why legal action against alleged Israeli war crimes is so slow

Why legal action against alleged Israeli war crimes is so slow

When the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last year accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant of crimes against humanity, it seemed like a watershed moment.

Global anger over Israel's war in Gaza had long been at boiling point, with people demanding justice for the victims of war.

But to this day, they have not been arrested. At the same time, provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice in early 2024 obliging Israel to facilitate the entry and distribution of aid in Gaza appear to have been ignored, according to humanitarian organisations.

Without legal enforcement, the capabilities of the world's top court have come into question and the limitations of international law have became more evident.

In recent months, civil society groups and national legal coalitions have begun to take matters into their own hands. Lawyers, activists and academics at a grassroots level are trying to prosecute and document what they allege to be Israeli war crimes. Some of them have already filed appeals to their domestic law enforcement to investigate Israeli soldiers who may have committed core international crimes in Gaza.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at the efforts and challenges of legal mechanisms in delivering justice to Palestinian victims, both on an international scale and in domestic courts. She speaks to former ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, legal director and founder of the Public Interest Law Centre in the UK Paul Heron, and Israeli historian Lee Mordechai.

Jaksot(476)

Is it time for serious reform of the UN and humanitarian law?

Is it time for serious reform of the UN and humanitarian law?

The rules-based international order is the system of principles, laws and institutions put in place since the end of the Second World War to protect human rights and prevent conflict. But this status ...

6 Helmi 22min

How Jared Kushner’s plan for Gaza could affect Palestinians

How Jared Kushner’s plan for Gaza could affect Palestinians

Jared Kushner’s vision for Gaza may have been presented in a vibrant-coloured map and renderings of futuristic, high-rise towers, but Palestinians in the strip say they are sceptical. Residents likene...

30 Tammi 25min

What happens next after Syrian army offensive against the SDF?

What happens next after Syrian army offensive against the SDF?

After days of fighting, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and government troops under President Ahmad Al Shara agreed to a fragile ceasefire. But in that short time – and with each side still a...

23 Tammi 15min

What options does Iran have as pressure builds at home and abroad?

What options does Iran have as pressure builds at home and abroad?

Two weeks of protests in Iran have been met with a regime crackdown that threatens to provoke foreign intervention. What started as demonstrations over worsening economic conditions has spiralled into...

16 Tammi 24min

Why US action in Venezuela is causing so much anxiety in Middle East

Why US action in Venezuela is causing so much anxiety in Middle East

Even though Caracas sits across the ocean, thousands of kilometres from the Middle East, the US attack on Venezuela and capture of its leader Nicolas Maduro has been unsettling. For Venezuelans who fe...

8 Tammi 22min

How serious is the ISIS threat in Syria?

How serious is the ISIS threat in Syria?

After the US struck ISIS targets in Syria in late December, President Ahmad Al Shara’s government stepped up its own operations, carrying out weapons raids and arrests across the country. It came afte...

2 Tammi 20min

The year in impact: Our episodes that resonated the most in 2025

The year in impact: Our episodes that resonated the most in 2025

The profound transformations in the Middle East this past year have rippled far beyond the region, reshaping politics and alliances around the world. The US has taken a new interest in Syria. Lebanon ...

26 Joulu 202528min

How Yemen’s power balance is shifting again

How Yemen’s power balance is shifting again

Political power in Yemen is shifting once again, reigniting questions about who truly holds authority in the country and whether it is heading towards another fundamental rupture. The Southern Transit...

19 Joulu 202515min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

aikalisa
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
tervo-halme
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
politiikan-puskaradio
viisupodi
rss-podme-livebox
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
rss-asiastudio
otetaan-yhdet
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
the-ulkopolitist
linda-maria
rikosmyytit
rss-mina-ukkola
rss-kaikki-uusiksi
rss-merja-mahkan-rahat
radio-antro
rss-polikulaari-humanisti-vastaa-ja-muut-ts-podcastit
rss-raha-talous-ja-politiikka